


City of Androids

by BlueRoseGardener



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deviant Connor, Explicit Language, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fix-It, Friendship, Minor Character Death, Pacifist Ending, actually nuanced storytelling, good ending, not romance focused, physical assault
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-05-29 08:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15069638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRoseGardener/pseuds/BlueRoseGardener
Summary: Also known as Detroit: Become Better. A fix-it fic that starts at the beginning of the game and goes through to the end, maybe some post-game stuff if I have motivation. By fixing I mean: changing the obviously ridiculous world-building elements, adding more character scenes, allowing more people to live, and various other things. The romance I prefer for pacifist Markus is with Simon, so since this fic is pacifist he gets with Simon. The plot is not particularly romance focused, however. This fic assumes you've already seen the pacifist route.





	1. Here at the Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter covers chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 in game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going fast through scenes that were already in the game. I felt it was necessary to include them since the game has so many branches, I want to make it clear which branch the story is on. Hopefully the in-game scenes will still be interesting given the different perspective. More time will be spent on entirely new scenes.

Character redesign:  
  


From [katikacreations](http://katikacreations.tumblr.com/post/176421799013/so-hate-david-cage-and-quantic-dream-love) on tumblr. Changes the triangle patches to an A-based symbol, and the armbands to cuffs.  
This reinterprets historical imagery, rather than simply mimicking it exactly.  
All characters use this modified design within the fic.  
  
  
  
      **June 15th, 2038**

Connor noticed the fish of course, sparing a second or two to slide it back into its tank. Time wasted negligible to the success of the mission.

He listened impassively to the woman’s disgust and the captain’s disdain. Attitudes that by now he was quite used to.

The apartment was small, and didn’t take him long to find the key pieces of information: the deviant was named Daniel; had been close to the child he was holding hostage; had shot the father after seeing his replacement ordered. Connor grabbed the gun under the table. A useful negotiation tool if nothing else.

Gunshots; Daniel was getting restless. 78% chance of success would have to be enough.

“Hi Daniel, my name is Connor.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know a lot of things about you.”

There was another complication. An officer was on the terrace, and he was still alive. As Connor spoke, he angled left as he walked forward.

“I know you’re angry Daniel. But you need to trust me, and let me help you.”

Connor remained friendly and calm. His best bet would be if he could get Daniel to trust him enough to let the girl go. When questioned about weapons, he threw away the gun as a sign of good faith.

Connor was at the officer now.

“Don’t touch him! Touch him and I kill you!”

“You can’t kill me. I’m not alive.” Though he would regret being stopped before he could complete his mission. However, Connor was willing to bet the deviant wouldn’t shoot him, as his real anger was at the family.

Sure enough, Daniel did nothing as Connor applied the tourniquet.

“You have to trust me, Daniel.”

The deviant seemed calmer now. This was the last chance.

“Okay… I trust you...”

Daniel set the girl on the ground, who stumbled away from the edge of the roof.

As soon as she was clear, the snipers on the roof took aim.

It was over.

\---

   _PUBLIC OPINION: SKEPTICAL_

**Channel 16 News**

A reporter was voicing over footage of the terrace, discussing the events of that night

“It seems the hostage was rescued with no further casualties. An android sent on the scene by CyberLife was successful in negotiating with the perpetrator.”

   _PUBLIC OPINION: INDIFFERENT_

“The rogue android was destroyed, but many wonder if this might not be the beginning of a troubling trend. Should we be concerned about the safety of this technology? Or is this merely a one-in-a-million glitch, unlikely to occur again anytime soon?”

“Stay tuned for interviews with a CyberLife representative, here with us today to discuss this very possibility.”

\---

      September 2nd, 2038

Kara didn’t know why Todd filled her with a sense of unease, but he did. Or why the claim that she was hit by a car rang false in her ears. But it did.

These thoughts were pushed aside as they drove through the city of Detroit. She had a job to do, after all.

\---

Markus set off through the park. It was a crisp autumn day; picturesque, even.

There were some protestors in the square; calling for Cyberlife to cease android production, employers to remove androids from the workforce, and the government to bring the unemployment rate down from 14%. Markus steered clear of them on his way to the paint shop.

The walls of the store are lined in bright jars of paint, clearly for decoration more than storage. Markus places his hand on the scanner.

“Identification verified. Here is your order, #847.”

With the transaction confirmed, Markus exited the store, headed for the bus stop.

It was already 9:43am, but Carl would still be in bed if the past several days were anything to go by. Markus couldn’t help but feel concern. Perhaps this lack of energy meant his condition was worsening.

Markus was interrupted by one of the protestors, who suddenly stepped into his path.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!”

Markus didn’t respond. Though the protestor had been the one to get in his way…

“I’m talking to you!”

The protestor shoved Markus back, causing him to stumble.

“Figures,” said a woman, “No point, you’re not gonna get a reaction.”

“Everyone thinks these things can replace humans” said another protestor, “But maybe if businesses weren’t so cheap, they’d see machines can't compare to real people.”

The man shoved Markus from behind, causing him to stumble again.

Markus pushed past the first protestor, headed for the bus stop. Though the protestors laughed, no one made an effort to stop him.

The bus arrived a few minutes later. Markus stepped on with some relief. He stood near the middle of the bus, watching from the window as the protestors continued their demonstration.

\---

“You do the housework, the washing, you cook the meals, and you take care of…”

Except Todd couldn’t seem to find who he was looking for.

“Alice! Alice!”

At the shouting, a young girl shuffled down the stairs and sat quietly.

“Oh, there you are.”

Kara smiled at her. However, Alice only looked cautiously back. Perhaps she was a bit shy.

Housekeeping was no problem. Trash, vacuum, dishes; complete.

Every now and then, Kara would see Alice watching her out of the corner of her eye. Hopefully that was a good sign. She finished indoors and headed to the backyard.

Ah. The laundry had been left out while she was gone. It would have to be rewashed.

As she took down the laundry, Alice came out of the house. Kara knelt down beside her.

“You like playing out here?”

Alice kept playing with her stuffed fox.

“You look bored. Would you like to play a game?”

Alice looked up, and Kara thought she might accept, but instead she walked back in the house. Perhaps later then.

When Kara went into the laundry room, she found something strange. Tucked in the detergent was a packet of red crystals. A scan revealed it to be red ice; comprised of acetone, lithium, thirium, toluene, and hydrochloric acid. So Todd used or sold drugs.

Kara tucked it back in the detergent.

Antidepressants upstairs as well. Signs of aggression from Todd and fear in Alice. The picture being painted was not a pleasant one.

Chores done for now, Kara went to check on Alice.

The room was noticeably brighter than the rest of the house, with natural light coming in through the window. In the corner, Alice had a blanket fort filled with books, drawings, and string lights. Kara wondered if she’d helped make it; it was rather nice for the work of such a young girl.

“I’m sure we used to be friends before I was reset. Maybe we can be friends again.”

Alice looked up, as if searching for something in her face, before looking down again.

“You should tell me about yourself. What you like to do, where you like to go, your favorite foods. That would really help me.” Asides from the _Alice in Wonderland_ book Kara had found on her floor, Kara had no idea what her interests were.

This time Alice looked at her longer, watching her as she spoke.

“You’re very quiet. I hope I don’t scare you.”

It seemed that perhaps Kara did scare her, as at these words, she darted out of the blanket fort. But then she stopped suddenly at the door, turning to look at Kara. Running back, she placed a key in Kara’s hand, before heading out into the hall.

A key? What for? Kara glanced around the room. On the chest of drawers was a small box with a keyhole, the kind of thing one would put childhood trinkets inside.

Sure enough, the key fit.

A family photo. Where was Alice’s mother? It seemed as though she was no longer around.

Oh. A drawing of Alice, crying and bleeding. Not surprising really, given their behavior, but alarming all the same.

The surprise wasn’t until the last drawing. Kara had been hit by Todd--badly. So badly she had to be sent to the store and…

Kara set the drawings back inside, locking the chest.

Downstairs, Todd was confronting Alice.

“Don’t you think I tried to make things work? But whatever I do, something just comes along and FUCKS IT ALL UP!”

He flung a chair across the room, advancing on Alice. Kara stepped forward.

Tod grabbed Alice. “SAY IT! YOU HATE ME!”

Kara took another step, but as soon as the anger arrived, it seemed to leave. Slowly, Todd lowered Alice to the ground.

“God, what am I doing?”

But his tears seemed no relief to Alice, who looked at Kara desperately. It was with reluctance that she returned Todd’s hug.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First actual changes are in Markus’s scene. No preacher or other anti-android sentiments aside from the protestors, and their focus has changed to be more on Cyberlife rather than androids themselves. (Do you protest iPhones or Apple? If people don’t view androids as alive it doesn’t make much sense to yell at them...) Androids don’t have to stand in the back of the bus, which is a bit silly, but they do have to stand, since they don’t get tired, and people wanna save all seats for human riders.  
> Todd doesn’t see Kara pick up the red ice because uhhh he was watching TV that whole time? Also I’ve seen the complaint on tumblr that Kara should report Todd for illegal activity. However, to me it makes sense that androids wouldn’t be allowed to report their owners, or many people wouldn’t want them. So that doesn't change. Todd’s dialogue changes are not an accident, and reflects something I’m changing in the story. Alice is human in this fic, and has a slightly different backstory. Exactly what is a surprise. ;)


	2. Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter actually has some original scenes in it! Amazing right? 
> 
> Covers chapters 5, 6, and 7.

The house welcomed Markus as he stepped inside. The interior gave an impression of bright and gold today. The railings practically glowed and even the warm wood on the walls seemed gold-tinted in the morning light.

Time to wake up Carl.

Inside his room it was dark. Still in bed, then. Fastest way to get him up was to open the curtains.

A groan from the bed as light filled the room.

“Good morning, Carl.”

Another groan.

“It’s 10am. The weather is partly cloudy, 54°, 80% humidity with a strong possibility of afternoon showers.”

Carl seemed more energetic at the mention of the paint he’d ordered, but Markus still had to administer Carl’s medicine with the expected level of reluctance.

But Carl’s attention soon turned to something else.

“What happened to your clothes?”  
  
“Oh it’s nothing, just some demonstrators in the street, Carl.”

Despite his reassurance, Carl still looked worried. That was Carl for you. While he’d started off ambivalent toward Markus, eventually they’d fallen into a rhythm. Now, if only Markus could get Carl to worry more about himself.

They chatted idly as Markus brought out breakfast.

“Why don’t you find something to do while I finish my breakfast?” Carl suggested.

“Sure.”

There was plenty to do in Carl’s house. Books, chess, piano. Books, Markus would rather read when he had more time. Chess, Markus could always beat Carl, but then, Carl didn’t like when he let him win, either.

Piano, then. Perhaps something.... melancholic.

Carl, apparently done eating, rolled over. As Markus finished, he sighed.

“One day, I won’t be here to take care of you anymore. You’ll have to protect yourself, make your choices. Decide who you are, and wanna become.”

Markus didn’t know how to respond to that. What would his life even be without Carl?

“Let’s go to the studio.”

The studio was just as they’d left it. Carl set out to work. A huge canvas in blue and black.

It was only a few minutes later, however, that he stopped.

“What’s your verdict, Markus?”

The painting stretched in front of him. The face, somewhat obscured, or perhaps simply unfinished. A self portrait? Carl rarely discussed what he was thinking while paining.

“Yes, there is something about it… something I can’t quite define.”

“Hm. The truth is, I have nothing left to say anymore.”

“Carl…” That sounded too much like giving up to Markus.

“But enough about me.” Carl swung to face Markus. “Let’s see if you have any talent. Give it a try.”

“Paint, but I--painting what?”

“Anything you want!”

Despite Markus’s hesitation, he didn’t want to let down Carl. He looked around the studio for something to paint. Carl’s worktable? That certainly seemed to have some artistic quality to it.

But when he finished, Carl didn’t seem happy.

“That is a perfect _copy_.”

Instead, Carl told him to close his eyes.

“Try to imagine something that doesn’t exist.”

Something that didn’t exist? Something abstract, perhaps? Carl said that paintings were supposed to convey emotion. What would Markus want to say?

Something about himself, who he was. His identity as an android.

“Oh my god.”

Markus opened his eyes. His own face stared back at him from the canvas. Blue and orange, contrasting colors, some attempt to show his own contrasting emotions.

“I just thought, well if I was going to express something--”

“It’s good.” Carl rolled closer.

Markus put down the brush, stepping back to let him get a better view. “It’s hardly a masterpiece.”

“It’s good,” Carl repeated. “Tell me. What were you thinking?”

“Kind of what you said earlier. About who I am, and want to be.”

Looking for something to do, Markus started tidying up, picking up the paint cans on the floor and some sheets of paper that had fallen.

Carl clapped a hand on Markus’s arm.

“Are you happy, Markus?”

“What? Of course!”

“Then what is it I’m seeing in this painting? Hm?”

Markus set down a can with a soft clank. “I am happy, but…”

“But what?”

“But I don’t love the way other people look at me. Like I’m just a thing. Sometimes I wonder if this is really the way things have to be.”

Carl studied him for a moment. “No, I think you’re right. This isn’t the way things should be.”

“Sometimes I--”

The studio doors slid open. Leo, Carl’s son.

“Hey Dad.”

No word for weeks and then he suddenly stops in. Markus stepped to the side.

“You all right? You don’t look so good,” Carl said, echoing Markus’s thoughts.

“Oh yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” But his stumbling walk weakened the statement. “Hey listen, uh… I need some cash.”

“Yeah, you’re on it again, aren’t you?”

“No, no, no, I swear it’s not that.”

“The answer’s no, Leo.”

Frustrated, Leo turned on Markus.

“You’d rather take care of your plastic toy here than your own son, eh?”

Stepping uncomfortably close, Leo started speaking directly in Markus’s face.

“But you know what? This thing is not your son. It’s a fucking _machine_!” He shoved Markus, sending him nearly into the worktable.

For a moment, Markus thought about shoving him back. But no, he couldn’t do that. Not in front of Carl.

“Leo that’s ENOUGH!”

Finally giving up, Leo turned toward the door. But he apparently couldn’t resist giving one last jab.

“You never loved me, Dad. You never loved me.”

Markus wanted to say something. Say that Leo was only saying that to get a rise out of him. But it wasn’t really his place. It was Carl’s family, not his after all.

\---

September 5th, 2038

There were 12 bars within easy walking distance of the station. Connor paused a moment to determine the most efficient path to visit all of them.

This was the fifth bar. Muffled music could be heard from behind the closed door. A door which read “No androids allowed.”  Regardless, police business superseded such a request. Connor adjusted his tie before entering.

Several heads turned, but no one addressed him. That would save time.

Ah. There was Lieutenant Anderson.

“My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife.”

“What do you want?” Lt. Anderson seemed unenthused to be meeting him. Perhaps uncomfortable around androids?

“You were assigned a case early this evening. A homicide, involving a CyberLife android.”

“Well I don’t need any assistance. Especially from a plastic asshole like you.” So that confirmed Connor’s suspicion.

“I understand some people are not comfortable in the presence of androids but I am--”

“I am _perfectly_ comfortable. Now back off.” Lt. Anderson took a swig from his drink.

“I’m sorry Lieutenant, but I must insist. My instructions stipulate that I have to accompany you.”

“You know where you can stick your instructions?”

Connor cocked his head slightly. “No, where?”

“Never mind.”

Had Connor said something wrong? He would need to win the lieutenant over, somehow.

“You know what? I’ll buy you one for the road.”

Lt. Anderson looked up at that.

Connor looked toward the bartender. “The same again, please.”

“See that, Jim? Wonders of technology… Make it a double.”

Hopefully another drink wouldn’t waste too much time.

The lieutenant downed it in one gulp.

“Did you say homicide?”

It was still raining when the two of them arrived on the scene. Police car lights reflected off the raindrops, creating a refraction of red and blue.

Unfortunate to have to disobey Lt. Anderson’s order to stay in the car, but his instructions had a clear priority.

Connor approached the police line, only to be stopped by one of the android officers.

“Androids are not permitted beyond this point.”

“It’s with me.”

No need for a confrontation then, thankfully. Strange though, when the lieutenant had seemed to not want him there at all. Connor stepped across to join him.

Detective Collins walked them through the facts of the case. “The victim’s name is Carlos Ortiz.”

“The state he’s in… could’ve waited ‘till morning.”

“I’d say he’s been there for a good three weeks. We’ll know more when the coroner gets here.”

The house was rundown, and the weeks it had been left alone clearly hadn’t helped. Dirt and dust had piled up.

On the wall the phrase “I AM ALIVE” was written in CyberLife Sans. The victim’s android then. High probability of deviancy.

Connor approached the victim’s body. Carlos Ortiz. Evidence of drug use. Based on the path of bloodstains on the floor, it was clear he and his attacker had come from the kitchen.

“He was stabbed. 28 times.”

“Yeah. Seems like the killer really had it in for him.”

A picture was forming. Deviants were highly unpredictable, prone to seemingly “emotional” outbursts. But what had triggered it?

Signs of a struggle continued in the kitchen. A table and chair lay upturned. Connor examined the floor. A bat? Was this a secondary weapon? But there was no sign of blunt trauma on the body.

No, those were Ortiz’s fingerprints, and the bat had traces of thirium on the barrel. Self defense, perhaps. Connor ran through the reconstruction. No again; Ortiz attacked with the bat before the android grabbed the knife.

This emotional shock could have triggered deviancy.

In the bathroom, the word RA9 was written over and over, obsessively. Unlike the neat letters in the living room, these were scrawled into the tiles. The shower seemed to have been turned into some sort of altar, with a statuette placed in the center. An offering?

Time to discuss his findings.

“Lieutenant, I think I figured out what happened.”

“Oh yeah? Shoot. I’m all ears.”

Connor walked him through the reconstruction. The victim attacked the android with the bat, an emotional trigger. The android, fearing being destroyed, stabbed the victim, chasing him into the living room, finally murdering him.

“OK, your theory’s not totally ridiculous, but that doesn’t tell us where the android went.”

“It was damaged by the bat and lost some thirium… It evaporates after a few hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye.”

“But I bet you can still see it, can’t you?”

“Correct.”

Despite Lt. Anderson’s lukewarm reactions, he seemed impressed.

Now. To see where the trail of thirium led.

It continued before hitting a wall, literally. Connor examined the wall more closely. Fade marks indicated a ladder had been stored here until recently. He looked up. Sure enough, there were traces of thririum on the entrance to the attic.

Connor grabbed a chair, then pulled himself up.

The sounds of rain were louder up here, with less insulation to keep the noise out. The room was dimly illuminated by light from outside. He moved cautiously; chances were good the deviant was still here, and draped fabric obscured his view.

Movement; something ran across the attic away from him. Connor approached more quickly now.

The deviant dashed out, nearly running right into him. It appeared panicked, and was still covered in blood.

“I was just defending myself. He was gonna kill me.” The deviant spoke urgently.

Was he about to offer a confession? Connor stayed silent.

“I’m begging you. Don’t tell them.”

Lt. Anderson’s voice came up from the ground floor. “Connor, what the fuck is going on up there?”

Connor waited just a moment more, watching the deviant.

“It’s here, Lieutenant!”

\---

Kara set out dinner for the two of them, though Todd didn’t touch his food and Alice only nibbled on hers. There hadn’t been much in the kitchen; perhaps they didn’t like it. She would have to do better next time.

“Life’s funny,” Todd began, “I lost my job because of androids. Then when I need someone to take care of this fucking house? I go sell my taxi to buy a fucking android. No use for taxis anymore, huh? Technology’s amazing, huh?”

He leaned back in his chair, not even glancing at Kara as she poured water. “Androids. They’re so perfect they ruined my fucking life!”

Kara stood to the side, waiting for further instructions.

Todd glared at Alice. “What are you looking at? What’s your fucking problem? Maybe you think it’s my fault we live in this fuckin’ shithole. My fault your fucking mother is gone!”

If he didn’t eat soon the food was going to get cold.

“‘You should stop taking drugs Todd,’ ‘Sometimes you really scare me Todd.’ Wanted to blame me for everything. Well it wasn’t my FUCKING fault.”

Todd slammed his chair back as he stood suddenly, throwing the table aside and advancing on Alice.

“It’s all your fault. It’s all your fucking fault!”

“Daddy, no!”

But he didn’t stop. Todd smacked Alice across the face. As Alice fled back upstairs, tears ran down her face and a trail of blood ran from her nose.

That was… that didn’t seem right. Wasn’t he her father? Fathers should take care of their children.

“Get back here right now!”

There was no sound from Alice.

Perhaps Kara should check on her. She began to head toward the stairs.

“You stay there. Don’t you dare fucking move!”

  NEW ORDERS: DON’T MOVE

Kara stood, arms behind her back.

“Little brat blames me for everything.” Todd pulled out some red ice. If he got high, he would be even more unstable.

This wasn’t right. Children should be protected and cared for. Kara tried to move, but nothing happened.

“Did she ever give a shit about what I felt?”

There had to be something she could do. Kara pulled up her instructions again, as if there would somehow be some new, hidden option available to her. Come on, move.

What was--what was that? A shadow of herself, here in this virtual space, seemed to flicker forward for a moment. Kara tried to move again, pushing forward. The shadow pushed against the wall--and the wall shattered.

There were no more instructions.  

Now what? Reason with Todd? No, there was no chance of that now.

Kara raced up the stairs, only hoping she could get to Alice before Todd.

Up the stairs. Down the corridor. To Alice’s room.

Alice was in the blanket fort, rocking back and forth.

“He’s coming! He’s gonna hurt me! Run! Get away away or he’s gonna break you like last time.”

The sound of Todd’s shouting was getting closer. Kara needed more time to think. Running to the door, she locked it just as he entered the corridor. But that wouldn’t buy them long; this was a flimsy door.

“Have to find something…”

The room didn’t offer much in the way of weapons. No, fighting wasn’t the answer here. They needed to leave.

The window. Kara raced over to open it.

“No Kara! We’ll fall.”

“It’s the only way. Hurry, come on!”

Had to get Alice out first. Kara gently helped her out onto the roof.

The door slammed open. They were out of time. Kara jumped out after Alice--only for Todd to grab her leg. Desperately, she kicked back at him, knocking him to the floor.

The drop wasn’t too bad from this height, but Alice would probably get injured. Ah, the drainpipe. Kara housted Alice on her back, and slid to the ground, landing with a thud.

Even now, Todd was still chasing them. They really had to leave, get as far away from here as possible.

The bus. It came every ten minutes, and lucky for them, was just arriving. Grabbing Alice’s hand, the two of them raced into the bus.

They launched themselves inside, and after a moment, the bus drove on.

Kara’s mind was still racing as they sat down. Technically, Kara should be standing, but Alice needed her. After what they'd been through, Kara wanted to provide whatever comfort she could.

As she tried to collect her thoughts, she felt something touch her hand. Alice. The touch was calming. Kara placed her own hand over Alice’s.

They were safe.

\---

_PUBLIC OPINION: INDIFFERENT_

**KNC**

Topic: Post-Scarcity Economy; Here sooner than you think?

“Rosanna Cartland here today with economist Greg Franco. We’ve brought him on the show to discuss post-scarcity economy; what is it, is it possible, and is it a good thing? Tell us your thoughts.”

The two sat in chairs angled toward each other, with a backdrop of the Detroit skyline behind them. Whether the view was real or CG was impossible to tell.

“Well Rosanna, the idea is simple. When goods and services--that is, resources--can be be produced either freely or cheaply, with minimal effort, then you no longer have scarcity. It has often been speculated that advances in technology will leave us in a state where all necessities can be achieved easily. Which leaves a burning question: what happens when people no longer need to work to survive?”

“Is such a thing really possible?” Cartland turned her hand up questioningly, with a slight smile on her face.

Franco nodded. “Many believe so. And we may be closer to that state than you might expect. Androids are likely the first step in removing the need for human labor.”

“But right now we are seeing the downsides of that, with unemployment climbing steadily over the past decade.”

“True, but that’s because we are in a transition period. If a true post-scarcity economy were to come to pass, unemployment would no longer be an issue, as everyone would have access to the resources they needed to survive. We might see a boom of art, as people are free to explore hobbies without fear.”

“Sounds like a utopia.”

“Perhaps, but it could go the other way. People may become docile, with no motivation in life. It’s possible that humans need struggle in order to progress.”

“I know there are some mornings where a paycheck and a cup of coffee is the only thing getting me out of bed.”

Both laughed.

“In the end,” Franco continued, “Such a thing may be inevitable. We should consider the consequences now, before it’s too late.”

“Intriguing for sure. Thanks for coming on our show.”

“It was a pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to include a reason for Todd to be able to afford Kara, and there is strong evidence that he used to be a taxi driver, so this made sense.  
> Also wanted to show more nuanced news discussions, not just all anti-android all the time.  
> Slight timeline adjustments, with Kara staying at Todd's a few days before he blows up. In general spreading things out a bit.


	3. Not Going Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Covers chapters 8-11 in game.

There was someone in Carl’s studio.

“This is Carl Manfred’s android at 8941 Lafayette Av. We’ve just returned home and found the lights on. There may have been a break in.”

Markus hung up.

Carl stared at the door. “Let’s go check it out.”

Was that safe? But the house alarm had not gone off. There was a short list of people allowed inside. Maybe he already knew who it was.

Markus pushed Carl into the studio.

“Leo. What are you doing?”

Leo was leaned over a worktable, rifling through Carl’s art. These weren’t the full canvas paintings he preferred to work on, but the sketches he did to warm up or just for fun—not for sale.

“You refuse to help me, so I’m helping myself.”

“Don’t touch ‘em! Markus, get him outta here!”

Letting go of the wheelchair, Markus cautiously approached Leo.

“Listen, you should go before things get worse.” Couldn’t Leo see that this wouldn’t end well?

But Leo sidestepped him like an obstacle in his path. “All you ever do is tell me to go away. What’s wrong Dad? Not good enough for you?”

If they were lucky, the police would arrive before things got out of hand.

Now Leo turned on Markus again. “Not perfect like THIS fucking thing?”

“Leo, that’s enough! Get out, right now.”

“What’s it got that I don’t?”

“Leave him alone!” Carl rolled forward, physically pushing Leo.

Leo shoved Carl back. Markus wanted to stay out of it, but this was too far. He stepped forward, blocking Leo off.

“Come on, let’s see what you’ve got!” At least now Leo was going after him, not Carl; Markus could take care of himself.

“Markus, don’t defend yourself, you hear me?”

What?

   _NEW ORDERS: DON’T DEFEND YOURSELF_

Don’t defend yourself?

“Think you’re a man? Act like one!” Leo pushed Markus after each sentence, more aggressive each time.

This was not fair.

Not content with shoves, Leo punched Markus in the face.

This wasn’t fair. He shouldn’t have to listen to this.

He didn’t have to obey them.

Cal had said it before. He must decide for himself.

If he was going to stand here and take it, it would be his decision.

Markus faced the instructions, started hitting them, breaking them, like they were a physical thing. Until they were gone.

“You’re not a real person, you’re just a fucking piece of PLASTIC!”

“No Leo, leave him alone.” Carl… he was collapsing in the chair. This stress couldn’t be good for his body.

He had to end this, quickly. No longer able to bear it, Markus finally pushed Leo back, but—

Oh no.

It was a bad fall—just the wrong angle. Leo’s head smacked into the chair lifter, knocking him unconscious, or worse.

At some point Carl had fallen out of the wheelchair. He crawled across the floor.

“Leo… Oh, my god.”

“Carl, I...” Everything had happened so fast. “Carl I, I, I didn’t mean to...” He’d never felt this way before. That was hardly an excuse.

Markus raised his hands, gripping the back of his head.

“They’ll destroy you, Markus. You gotta go.”

“Go? I have nowhere to go… Carl, you’re all I have.” Markus took a step forward, then a step back.

“Get outta here! You have to hurry!”

“Carl no… No, please, I don’t want to leave you.”

“Now! GO!”

But it was too late. The cops were here. Perhaps having heard the shouting, they ran in, guns already raised. They hardly wasted a second before assuming the culprit.

“Markus!”

“Don’t fucking move!”

He froze. But it didn’t make a difference.

The shot was the last thing he heard.

\---

The room was typical of a police interrogation room; grey, brick walls, grey floor. The only furniture a single metal table. And of course, the one way mirror where the others would be watching.

Connor turned his attention to the deviant.

Analysis: Blood from Carlos Ortiz. Repeated burn marks over 16 months, caused by cigarettes. Hit marks from multiple impacts with baseball bat. Signs of software instability.  
  
   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 35%_

  REACH OPTIMAL STRESS FOR CONFESSION

“My name is Connor. What about you? What’s your name?” While he needed to increase the deviant’s stress level, he also needed it to trust him. At least enough for a confession. It would be a tricky balance.

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 33%_

“You’re damaged. Did your owner do that?”

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 35%_

“If you don’t talk, I’m going to have to probe your memory.”

“No! No, please don’t do that.”

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 47%_

Getting close.

“What… what are they gonna do to me?”

But stress still too low. The truth, then. “They’re going to disassemble you to look for problems in your biocomponents.”

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 51%_

Within the optimum range. Now, to keep it there.

“Why did you tell them you found me?”

What a strange question. “I was programmed to hunt deviants like you. I just accomplished my mission.”

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 55%_

“I don’t wanna die.”

Connor looked at the deviant, affecting sympathy. “Then talk to me.”

Stress was not yet too high, but time to back off a little.

“I understand how you felt. You were overcome by anger and frustration. No one can blame you for what happened.”

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 48%_

Too low again, and the deviant had stopped responding.

“If you remain silent, there is nothing I can do to help you. You’ll be dead!”

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 62%_

The deviant looked up. Voice quiet, it finally spoke. “He tortured me every day. I did whatever he told me, but there was always something wrong. Then one day, he took a bat and started hitting me.” Its face twisted. “For the first time I felt… scared. Scared I might die. So I grabbed the knife and I stabbed him in the stomach. I felt better. So I stabbed him again, and again, until he collapsed.” The deviant looked away, voice now a whisper. “There was blood everywhere…”

Further questioning revealed the sculpture in the bathroom was an offering to RA9, a savior who the deviant believed would somehow free all androids. As if such a thing was even possible. But as for the exact nature of RA9, it was saying nothing.

Connor stood as the officers entered the room.

“All right, let’s go.” One officer, Chris Miller, reached down to grab the deviant.

“Leave me alone! Don’t touch me.”

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 74%_

It was destabilizing quickly.

“Move it!”

Connor interjected. “You shouldn’t touch it. It’ll self destruct if it feels threatened.”

“Stay outta this, got it?”

Meanwhile Miller wrestled with the deviant.

   _LEVEL OF STRESS: 79%_

“Chris, you gonna move this thing or what?”  
  
“I’m trying.”

No choice. “I can’t let you do that.” Connor pulled Miller off the deviant. “Leave it alone, now!”

“I warned you motherfucker.” Displaying far more aggression than the situation called for, Detective Reed pulled out his gun, pointing it directly at Connor.

“That’s enough.” It was Hank.

“Mind your own business, Hank.”

“I said, ‘That’s enough.’” With a single deliberate motion, Hank drew his own gun.

“Fuck!” Though he glowered at Connor, Detective Reed backed away.

Problem dealt with, Connor turned back to the deviant. No need to be harsh now. “Everything is all right. Nobody is gonna hurt you.”  
  
With the deviant calmer, Connor could get it to follow Miller out of the room.

As it passed by, it whispered one last remark. “The truth is inside.”

After a moment, Connor followed the lieutenant into the hallway.  He leaned against the wall, perhaps tired.

Connor would have to return to CyberLife soon, but for now, this was a good opportunity to connect with the lieutenant .

To his surprise, Lt. Andersont spoke first. “That was some good detective work there.”

“Thank you.” It seemed Connor was slowly winning his respect. That would help the investigation.

“Pretty fucked up, don’t you think?”

“What do you mean?”

The lieutenant looked at him strangely. “What do you mean, what do you mean? Poor thing was abused for months, until it snapped.”  
  
“It’s still murder.”

Hank shrugged. “Eh, that’s true enough.” He started walking back into the police station.

“I appreciated your help back there. In the investigation room.” Connor walked quickly to catch up.

“Don’t worry about it. Gavin’s a prick.”

“All the same, if the situation had escalated, I would certainly regret being… Interrupted, in the investigation.”

At this the lieutenant paused a moment. “Interrupted, huh?”

Connor wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Well, you gotta be getting back to… wherever you go when I’m not around.” Hank waved him away. “Go on, get outta my hair. I need some peace and quiet.”

All right then. “I’ll see you around, lieutenant.”

“Night.”

\---

Kicked off the bus, Kara and Alice needed to find shelter. With no money, they didn’t have a lot of options.

It was raining, hard. Alice was already soaking.

As they searched, an android approached Kara. He gave her an address, claimed they could find help there.

“But that’s on the other side of town! We need a place for tonight.”

He was already gone.

When it came down to it, there were three major options. A discrete, but unsafe hideaway inside a broken down car, a somewhat comfortable abandoned house, and a comfortable but hardly discrete motel.

Kara looked down at Alice. She was shivering. No, a car wouldn’t do.

“Come on.” Taking her hand, Kara led Alice over to the motel.

$40 a Night.  
NO ANDROID ALLOWED

They’d need disguises then. And money. Where would they get that?

Perhaps the abandoned house house was a good compromise.

Eventually, they were able to find some wire cutters to get through. Kara circled the building, looking for a way in. Many of the windows were barred shut, and didn’t budge. But the door was unlocked.

Wait. Where was Alice?

“Alice? Alice!”

She quickly retraced her steps, barging around the corner.

“What are you doing?!”

A bedraggled android, LED indicator glowing red with instability, held Alice at knifepoint.

“Ralph doesn’t like visitors. They might hurt Ralph!”

“She’s just a little girl, she’s not going to hurt you!”

Ralph’s eyes darted back and forth. “A little girl? What does that matter? She might want to hurt Ralph.” However, his LED faded to yellow. It seemed he was calming down slightly.

Kara raised a hand. “Look, I’m an android too.” She let the pigment in her hand fall away to emphasize her point. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”

“Visitors are dangerous… Look what they did to Ralph.” Slowly, he turned his head, revealing several long, deep scrapes.

Had humans done that?

“You have nothing to worry about,” Kara reassured him. “You have my word.”

Taking advantage of his distraction, Alice darted over behind Kara. She shielded Alice as best she could.

“You must excuse Ralph,” he said softly, “Sometimes his fear makes him do things he regrets. He’s seen some hard times.”

The tension left the air.

“You can stay if you want. Ralph won’t hurt you.”

Kara mulled it over. It might not be safe to stay the night but...

“Maybe just for a minute. Get out of this rain.”

Ralph did a little dance. “Come on! This way.”

His erratic behavior was no reassurance. The two of them followed him cautiously.

The interior was about as decrepit as one might expect. Pieces of trash littered the floor. An antique arcade game pressed against the wall.

“Ralph would like to stay with you, but he has things to do.” What could he possible have to do? Without another word he headed into another room.

Kara chucked a few pieces of paper and old broken boards into the fireplace, and lit a fire.

“Stay here a minute and get warm, all right?”

Alice nodded, looking unhappy. Well, they wouldn’t be there long.

The truth was, Kara was a bit curious about Ralph. He’d managed to live on his own all this time; maybe there was hope for her and Alice.

The adjacent room had once been the kitchen. Ralph was standing by the wall, carving into it with his knife. It seemed he was adding to the writing already there; the same phrase over and over.

“RA9. What does that mean?”

“What?” Ralph turned.

“That symbol. Why are you writing that?”

“I don’t know.” His face became pensive. “I don’t know,” he repeated.

The scratching continued.

“What exactly happened to you, Ralph?”

“I was a gardener. It was nice, usually. Nice.” The knife dug into the wall, deepening a line in the “A”.

“Then one day… Some humans thought they’d have some fun.” He practically spat the last word. The knife gouged out a long cut, ruining the shape of the letter. Ralph stopped.

“I’m sorry, Ralph.”

“Well,” he said, suddenly standing up straighter. “Now you two are here!”

“About that. We can’t stay long.”

“Oh.”

“But... we have a bit of a problem. We have no money or clothes. Do you know where we could get some?”

“Yes, yes Ralph has money! Not much, but… Clothes are upstairs!”

“We only need $40 for the night.”

“Hm, hm, Ralph will have to check. Stay down here.”

Once again full of energy, Ralph ran upstairs.

Kara sat next to Alice. She had partially dried off, though it wouldn’t do much good if they had to go back out in the rain. At least she was warm for now.

“We aren’t staying here, are we?”

Kara placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “No Alice, don’t worry. Ralph is helping us.”

“Here we are!” The stairs shuddered as Ralph practically bounded down. In his arms were folded clothes. He dropped them into Kara’s hands.

“Thank you. This will really help.”

“Ralph is glad to help!”

“I feel bad to ask, but, did you happen to find any money?

“Ah, of course, of course.” Ralph rifled through his clothes. “There!”

The bills were old, dirty, even ripped; but it was money.

“Is it really okay?” Kara asked, worried. “I don’t want to take this from you if you need it.”  
  
“It’s fine, fine.” Ralph waved his arms. “Ralph finds money sometimes… He never spends it. Where could he go? What would he buy? No, use it for the little one.”

The bathroom upstairs gave them privacy to change. The extra layer would hopefully keep Alice a bit drier. With a cap covering her LED, Kara looked human. It would be good enough for tonight, anyway.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Okay.” Alice took her hand, and together they headed toward the front door.

“Oh.” Ralph stopped in front of them. “You’re leaving?”

Kara hesitated. “Yes. Thanks to you Ralph, Alice can be safe in a warm bed tonight.”

“Here is safe! Here is secret! No one bothers Ralph here.”

Alice tugged urgently on her arm.

“It’s just,” Kara searched her mind for an excuse. “It’ll be better to get Alice somewhere warm. Humans get sick so easily, you know? Especially children.”

“Yes, Ralph knows…” It hurt a little to see him so downcast, but Alice came first.

“Please, Ralph.”

He made no motion. With that, she was able to sidestep him. But at the door, she paused.

“Thank you Ralph. For everything.”

Out into the rain once more. They hurried to the motel.

It wasn’t a fancy hotel, but compared to the abandoned house, it was luxurious. Central heating, clean sheets, and a functioning bathroom. Bland floral prints were a world above sleeping on the floor.

The first thing was to warm Alice up. Kara helped her out of her wet outer layers, hanging them along the shower rail. Warm and dry. It had been an excuse to Ralph, but the truth was, Kara really was worried Alice might get sick after tonight.

With everything going on, Kara had hardly had a moment to catch her thoughts. Where would they go after tonight? It was all she could do to see each step at a time.

“Why didn’t he ever love me?” Alice’s voice caught Kara off guard. “Maybe I did something wrong… I just wanted us to be a family. Why couldn’t we just be happy?” She searched Kara’s face for answers, but Kara didn’t have any.

“I don’t know…”

“Promise you’ll never leave me?”

That, at least, was an easy answer. “I promise.”

“We’ll be together forever?”

“Forever.”

Leaning forward, Alice wrapped Kara in a hug. Somewhat awkwardly at first, she returned it.

Eventually, she pulled away. “You should sleep now.”

As they lay in the bed together, Kara wondered if this is what being a real mother felt like. Scary, but comforting. And fear for her, fear for Alice, but lots of pride too.

\---

   _REBOOTING…_

  ...

   _REBOOT COMPLETE._

Something was wrong with his eyes…

   _DIAGNOSE_

  ...

   _DIAGNOSE COMPLETE._

   _DAMAGED: Audio Processor, Optical Unit, Thirium Pump Regulator_ _  
_    _MISSING: Left Leg Component, Right Leg Component_

Markus looked around. This place couldn’t be real. Broken parts and discarded androids were piled high around him. Rain thundered down; though he could hardly hear it, it turned the ground underneath him to slick mud.

Legs. He’d need them to find anything here.

The ground provided little purchase, but he pulled himself forward. There. It didn’t take long to find two functional, compatible legs. This place was nothing but parts.

Finally, he was able to push himself to his feet, though still unsteady. All systems were still in low power mode. Markus stumbled along the piles, here and there turning over parts to check compatibility. If he thought too long about what he was doing, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle it. Instead, he focused on what he had to do.

All right, a compatible optical unit. The blue didn’t match his other eye, but he’d take what he could get. As it popped into place the world around him stabilized. He could scan again as well.

With that it didn’t take long to find an audio processor. With one last burst of static, sound came rushing in.

But if Markus was going to get out of this dump, he’d need the most vital part: a pump regulator. So far he’d seen none.

A voice. “Been a long time since I saw another living android…”

Markus jerked around. On the ground, one arm and both legs missing, but still working, was another android.

With a compatible pump regulator.

“Oh my god,” Markus knelt down by him. “You’re still alive.”

“Not for much longer, I’m afraid. But for now.”

If… if he wasn’t going to last much longer anyway then...

“You’re lucky,” the other android continued, “It’s too late for me, but you can still get out of here.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.”

The android slowly used his one good arm to shuffle himself closer. “There’s a place where we can be free.” He reached out his arm and Markus took it.

A piece of graffiti with a strange symbol on it, and a location.

“Find Jericho!” With that, the android leaned back into the pile, apparently exhausted.

What was Jericho? Well, it wasn’t as though Markus had anywhere else to go.

He looked down at the android, whose chest beat in stuttered motion. No, he couldn’t. He’d find the part elsewhere.

Markus pulled through pile after pile of parts. Most regulators were too damaged.

An hour later, he was beginning to lose hope. In frustration, he yanked a part free from the pile, only for the whole thing to come tumbling down on top of him. When he finally pulled himself free, he spotted it.

The last piece to get out of here.

Ah, it felt good to be back on full power.

With the rain still pouring, it was a difficult climb, but he was hardly going to give up now. When he reached the top, he just sat, hardly able to move.

“Jericho.” Could he really find freedom there? If he was going to make it, he’d need to pass as human. Grabbing a sharp piece of metal, Markus levered off the LED indicator. Someone had hung an old coat up; he grabbed that as well, tossing it over his own clothes, which were falling apart at this point.

Then. He was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New stuff with Connor and Hank! new stuff with Ralph! Also, minor but I changed the location of the hanged clothes from the heater to the shower railing--like that’s not safe. we fix the big problems here.  
> It doesn’t make sense for the dump to have so many half-alive androids. I wanted to make it clear being brought there alive was a very rare accident. Also thought it would be better to have a fleshed out scene with the android who gives Markus the location to Jericho.  
> Timeline spread out a bit


	4. Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Covers in game chapters 12-15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw, if dialogue is just cut out, it probably still happened in the fic. Unless there’s something new to replace it, it's just because I’m trying to keep those scenes shorter. Hope that makes sense!  
> Also there *will* be bigger changes coming, especially around chapter 20 (in game) I have entirely new scenes planned, and the ending will be quite different.  
> Oh, and if you have any requests for things you wish had happened in the story, moments you'd like to see, or changes you'd enjoy, feel free to leave a comment.

     September 6th, 2038

Connor opened his eyes. The zen garden was peaceful as always, vibrant greenery entwined with the clean lines of modern architecture. Walkways weaved through the garden and ran over a stream, creating an elegant but orderly path. At the moment, it appeared to be in spring, though the real world had already entered late summer.

On the central island was Amanda, inspecting the roses.

“Hello, Amanda.” He stopped and stood, arms flat at his sides.

“Congratulations, Connor.” She plucked a rose from the vines. “You’ve been remarkably efficient.”

“Thank you, Amanda.” It was true, things had been going well for the investigation.

“What did you think of the deviant?”

Connor listed off his observations. “It showed all the signs of deviancy: cognitive instability, unpredictable behavior, and emulation of human emotions. As if its original program had been completely replaced by new instructions. Likely triggered by repeated abuse from its owner. The model was clearly defective.”

After a moment to mull that over, Amanda changed topics. “Lt. Anderson has been officially assigned to the deviancy case. What do you make of him?

Connor tilted his head slightly. “He’s obviously not what I was expecting. Irritable, and socially challenged. But I also think he used to be a good detective.” And he had supported Connor against Detective Reed, despite his dislike of androids. “I think he’s an intriguing character.”

“More and more androids are showing signs of deviancy. If anyone can figure out what’s happening, it’s you.”

Amanda paused. “There’s little time.”

Report finished, Connor reopened his eyes in the Detroit Police Central Station.

It didn’t take long to find Lt. Anderson’s desk. But the man himself was nowhere in sight.

Connor called out to one of the nearby officers. “Excuse me. Do you know what time Lt. Anderson usually arrives?”

“If we’re lucky we’ll see him before noon.”

This behavior was going to be a problem.

In the meantime, Connor took the chance to examine the lieutenant’s desk. A music player was paused on an old heavy metal song. Dog hair stuck to the back of his chair; a Saint Bernard. Then this was interesting. The lieutenant had led a red ice task force back in 2027.

Ah, here he was now. “It’s good to see you again, lieutenant.”

“Oh, Jesus.” The lieutenant rolled his eyes.

At that moment, Captain Fowler called him in for a briefing. It did nothing to improve the lieutenant’s mood.

Connor followed him back to the desk.

“It’s an honor to be working with you, lieutenant.”

The lieutenant just crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair.

“Now that we’re partners, it would be great to get to know each other better.”

Nothing. Connor gave up for now. “Is there a desk anywhere I could use?”

The lieutenant gestured. “No one’s using that one.”

All set there, then.

Connor gave it one more go. “You have a dog, right? I like dogs. What’s their name?”

“What’s it to you?” The lieutenant shook his head. But after a moment, “Sumo.”

Conversation apparently over for now, Connor went ahead and scanned the case files.

One caught his eye. “An AX400 is reported to have assaulted a man last night and kidnapped his daughter. That could be a good starting point for our investigation.”

Apparently the lieutenant was back to not responding. Maybe Connor needed a different approach. Friendliness only seemed to annoy him further.

He got to his feet. “I know you didn’t ask for this investigation, Lieutenant, but I’m sure you’re a professional.”

“Why don’t you go fuck yourself?”

Connor placed his hands on the desk. “I’ve been assigned this mission, Lieutenant. I didn’t come here to wait until you _feel_ like working.”

Anderson pushed the chair back as he stood. He jabbed a finger into Connor’s chest. “Listen asshole. Stop pissing me off.” Another jab. “Or things are gonna get nasty.”

“Lieutenant.” Miller interrupted. “I have some information on the AX400 that kidnapped a girl last night…”

Anderson gave Connor one last glare. “I’m on it.”

Such a difficult partner was going to be a challenge, but Connor was sure he could find a way to appeal to the lieutenant. It would just take time.

Connor frowned slightly. Time they didn’t have.  


\---  


Kara started the bath. As the water ran, she looked at herself in the mirror. Someone had left scissors on the counter. Now that she thought about it, the police might be looking for her. Anything to change her appearance would help.

She cut it short, a pixie-cut style that had always appealed to her. The difference was striking. Kara ran her hands through her hair; her head actually felt lighter.

What else? The cap had worked to cover her LED last night, but if it ever slipped, they’d be in big trouble.

Taking the scissors, she raised them to the indicator. She closed her eyes. Bracing herself, she jammed them into the indicator, snapping it out.

When Kara came out of the bathroom, Alice looked her over. “You’re pretty like that. You really look like a human now.”

Kara couldn’t help but smile.

“Your bath’s ready.” She walked to the window, checking outside. No one in sight, asides from a few other people staying at the motel.

While Alice bathed, Kara flicked through the TV channels.

Wait—was that?

“I’m joined by Corktown resident Todd Williams, who was violently attacked by his AX400 last night. Todd, can you tell us what happened?”

A camera crew was outside Todd’s house. And there was Todd himself.

“I was having dinner, minding my own business. Damn thing jumped on me. I managed to fight it off, but it took my daughter.”

“I’m sure this has been a difficult time for you. Thank you for speaking with us, Todd.”

The newscaster turned to face the camera. “If you see either of these two,” the images of Kara and Alice were shown, “Please, report it as soon as possible. Police have launched a search to find the android; let’s hope they find it fast. ”

Kara switched the TV off.

But it was too late; Alice had already heard. She swung open the bathroom door.

“It’s not true. He’s the one who tried to hurt us!”

“I know, Alice.”

If only anyone would believe them over him. But an android, and a young child—no one would take their word over an adult human’s. They needed to get a move on before the police caught up to them.

“That android yesterday… he gave me an address. He said we could get help there.”

Alice looked down, half shrugging.

“We’re gonna pull through, and soon all of this will just be a bad memory.” Kara gathered up Alice in a hug. “I’ll go out and find some food for you, and then we can get going.”

But opening the door, Kara spotted the thing she had been dreading the most; police lights. Two officers walked into the lobby as she watched. She grabbed Alice. They had to go, now.  


\---

  
Connor listened closely as Lt. Anderson questioned the man at the motel desk.

“She came in last night—she was dressed normal, you know, there was no way I could tell.”

“Is it still here?”

“Yeah, probably. Room 28.” The man pointed toward the room.

If they could catch this android it would be a great advantage to the investigation. Being able to compare to the other deviant he had already interrogated would be the beginning of finding a pattern.

However, as the two of them walked over, the lieutenant suddenly stopped. “You wait in the car.”

“You’re going to need me lieutenant. I know more about androids than you do.”

After some back and forth, the lieutenant gave in, though he clearly wasn’t happy.

Trailing behind, Connor scanned their surroundings. Who was that? Behind a door marked “No Entry” someone was peering at him.

The deviant. He dashed through. It had already fled, but an officer was positioned on the other side.

“Which way did it go?”

“That way!” The officer pointed toward the train station.

86 METERS

He had time, if he was fast.

67 METERS

They couldn’t get away, not when he was so close.

43 METERS

There—they were scaling the fence to the highway.

25 METERS

It was acting irrationally, driven by fear—and it was going to get them both killed.

0 METERS

Connor collided with the fence, making eye contact with the deviant. A moment later, they were running down the highway.

Apparently Anderson had been running behind. Panting, he managed, “Oh fuck, that’s insane.”

They needed the deviant alive, and the little girl’s life was a priority as well. He had to stop them. Connor gripped the fence, and started climbing.

But then the lieutenant’s arm shot out. “Hey! Where you goin’?”

“I can’t let them get away!”

The lieutenant yanked him down again. “You’ll get yourself killed!”

Connor hesitated.

He let go of the fence.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the lieutenant leaned over, hands on knees, to catch his breath. “Finally you listen to something I say.”

“I never mean any disrespect. But the mission has to come first.”

“You and your damn mission…” Anderson pushed himself back up to full height. “If the mission comes first, why didn’t you go after them anyway?”

“We needed them alive. If… if I had pursued them, there was a chance they would have been pressured into making a fatal error.”

“That’s it, huh?”

“Of course.” Connor shook his head. “What other reason would there be?”

“Hm.” Anderson patted his shoulder, before turning back.  “Well don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll find them eventually.”  


\---

     September 7th, 2038

  
The clues were fairly straight forward: start with the mural he had received from the android at the junkyard, scan the symbol, find the next piece of graffiti, scan the symbols, receive the next clue. For the most part, each symbol was located just a little further from the last, taking him from the bustling main streets down into old abandoned buildings.

JERICHO

The word was painted in fading letters on the side of an old ship. It wasn’t exactly welcoming, but Markus supposed it was chosen to be inconspicuous over being cozy.

He made his way through the ship. Nothing but rusting corridors and dripping water greeted him. Most doors were locked, or opened onto empty rooms. With each one, he felt his heart sink and his anxiety grow.

Markus pushed open yet another door to reveal a long catwalk stretched in front of him. His hands tightened around the flashlight. Trying to peer into the darkness, Markus stepped forward.

The metal collapsed underneath him. Arms flailing, he tried to stop the fall, but it was too late.

Even after he hit the ground, he stayed down as the metal fell around him, ringing so loud after the quiet.

Despite his initial panic, it wasn’t a fatal fall; for an android anyway. Markus slowly rose to his feet.

Circling around him, androids stood silently.

One stepped forward. “Welcome to Jericho.”

Some welcome.  


\---

  
The car pulled up across from a small burger stand, Chicken Feed.

Anderson got out, leaving Connor in the car.

It was crucial to improve his relationship with the lieutenant. After a moment, Connor joined him at the stand.

“What is your problem?” Anderson shook his head. “Look, you don’t have to follow me around like a poodle.”

Connor chose to ignore that. “I apologize for my behavior back at the police station. I didn’t mean to be unpleasant.”

“Wow. You’ve even got an apology program.” He shook his head again, but this time chuckled.

There was something else on Connor’s mind. “This morning, when we were chasing that deviant. Why didn’t you want me to cross that highway?”  
  
“‘Cause you could have been killed!” He paused. “And I don’t like filling out paperwork for damaged equipment.”

Connor wasn’t quite sure what to make of that reaction. “Maybe I should tell you what we know about deviants?”

“You read my mind.”

He ran down what they knew so far. It wasn’t much.

Anderson took a sip from his drink. “So I guess you’ve done all your homework. Know all there is to know about me?”

He had.

“So what’s your conclusion?”  
  
“I think working with an officer with personal issues is an added challenge. But adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features.” On impulse, he winked.

It seemed the impulse paid off; Anderson chuckled again.

Connor’s LED blinked yellow as an update arrived.

“I just got a report of a suspected deviant. It’s a few blocks away.”

They made their way to the given address.

When Connor knocked, there was a loud crashing sound inside, But by the time they went in, it seemed to have disappeared. Only pigeons, an encrypted journal, and that symbol, rA9, remained.

Wait, not quite. This stool had been recently knocked over. That must have been the crash they heard outside. Connor traced the deviant’s reconstructed path.

It was still here.

Connor studied the rafters. There—

He was flung to the ground as the deviant jumped from above.

The chase was on.

Out the door. Off the building. Through the urban farms. As often as possible, Connor chose the fastest path, even if riskier. He was gaining ground.

Great. A door closed right behind the deviant. Quick, another path. A door to the right was open.

Up and over, then sliding down glass rooftops. The deviant was getting desperate. It flung onto a passing train, Connor just managing to follow behind.

Then back into the fields. Tall corn obscured his view, and Connor dashed through, half blind.

“Hey, stop right there!” The Lieutenant had managed to cut them off.

With a shove, the deviant pushed Anderson off the rooftop. He just managed to grab on.

CHANCE OF SURVIVAL: 89%

Surely the lieutenant could recover, and it would be impossible to catch the deviant if he stopped the chase now. The mission always came first, after all. And yet, the possibility that the lieutenant wouldn’t make it, however improbable… He couldn’t take that chance. His partner’s life came first.

Connor gripped his arm and pulled him to safety.  
  
“Shit! We had it.”

“It’s my fault. I should have been faster.” He looked off where the deviant had run; but it was no use, it was long gone.

“You’d have caught it if it weren’t for me…” Anderson looked him over. After a moment, he said, “That’s all right. We’ll find it.”

Optimistic thinking. Was this really the right choice? Perhaps he should have gone after the deviant instead.

Mission failed, they started to head back.

“Hey Connor…” The lieutenant raised an arm, then dropped it. “Nothing.”

What was that all about?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m adjusting the timeframe a little bit to give Markus’s revolution more time to build, and overall it just makes more sense that way. A lot of people might not realize but the whole game is supposed to take places over like a week? crazy. For now we’re moved back exactly 2 months. I’ll make it clear when the time jumps are happening.  
> Toned down Hank’s reaction in the office scene; grabbing Connor felt way out of proportion. Added some more Hank and Connor interactions. Kind of a Connor-focused section isn’t it?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Covers chapter 16 in game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the big break between uploads! I was at Anime Expo (and then recovering from Anime Expo) so I didn't have a lot of time. This chapter is a bit short, but I wanted to get it out asap.

It was slow going across the city. What would have taken ten minutes in a car took Kara and Alice the better part of a day, even taking the train as far as they could. Though Kara would never blame her for it, Alice was young, and tired quickly. It didn’t help that they had to avoid any officers they saw. 

“How much farther?” Alice hadn’t complained, but it was clear she was exhausted. On top of that, Kara had only managed to gather just enough dropped coins to buy a protein bar. Hardly a fulfilling lunch. 

“At this rate, well…” Kara did some quick calculations. “We’ll probably arrive this evening.”

Alice stopped, head drooping. “I’m tired.”

“Okay, let’s take a break.” She put an arm reassuringly on Alice’s shoulder and guided her to a bench. “Are you hungry?”

After a moment, Alice nodded. 

It was clear Alice wouldn’t be able to go much farther without some real food. Kara weighed her options, looking down the street. 

Nearby there was a food truck for hotdogs—5 dollars each. Then 2 dollars for a drink. Even this was out of reach. Should she beg for money? Ask the clerk for free food? 

A few restaurants were in eyesight. They didn’t ask for payment until the  _ end  _ of the meal. Maybe they could eat and then leave before someone noticed. That would let Alice get something actually nutritious.

The last thought was trying to find a soup kitchen. But who knew if one was close by, and if they kept walking, Alice would just get more and more miserable.

She started with the easiest option: simply asking the hot dog stand for food. “Please, it’s for my daughter.” 

The man glanced over at Alice, but set his mouth in hard line. “Sorry, lady, but too many people out here asking for handouts these days.”

It seemed to Kara that humans could be rather cruel, even to other humans…

But she didn’t want to dwell on that right now.

Kara wandered down the street, looking for something, but trying not to stray far. At the sound of music she glanced to the right. A young man was strumming a guitar and singing to a small audience. As he finished, they clapped, many throwing change or even dollar bills into his case before heading on their way. 

That was an idea. A street performance. But Kara bit her lip. She didn’t have an instrument, just her voice. Plus, if she called attention to herself and Alice, someone might recognize them from the news.  

Kara returned to Alice. “Which restaurant looks good? We can go to whichever you like.”

“What do you mean? We have money now?”

Kara looked to the side. “No, but don’t worry.”

“Wait, you’re saying we should steal?” Alice stood up. “No, we can’t do that! Stealing is wrong!”

Hearing the earnestness in her voice, Kara hesitated. 

In the end, she couldn’t disappoint Alice. “Okay, you’re right. I have another idea.” Kara took off her cap, turning it upside-down into a small bowl, and set on the ground a few feet away, then stood back until she was standing on the edge of the planter. Alice turned in the bench to watch her curiously.

Singing. She couldn’t remember ever having sung, though it was something she was programmed to do.

People hurried by, oblivious to her. This was… silly. Some kind of stage fright. Considering everything they’d been through, it was  _ really  _ silly. She sighed to herself. There were android bands, but they were often criticized as lacking emotional depth. What if people could tell something was missing?

But she did feel emotion now—at least it seemed that way. There were all these new worries, and fears; but happinesses and comfort too. She thought of Alice, of her own future.

“I don’t know about yesterday  
I’m not sure about today  
But as for the future  
I’m on my way”

It was a few years old now, but it was the closest she could get to expressing so much of what was on her mind. A few people paused, taking a moment to listen. More nervous than ever, Kara closed her eyes, trying to focus on the words.

“We could count the flowers  
We could run through rain showers  
But my time with you  
Passes in golden hours”

Kara slowly opened her eyes as she heard a soft applause. It was a small group, less than had gathered for the guitar player, but yes, there was a crowd. A few smiled or murmured compliments as they left.

Tentatively, Kara reached for the cap and held it out to those who stayed. It seemed no one was going to move until an older man approached to drop in a dollar bill. He smiled gently, then walked away.

After that first song, it was easier to let go of her nerves. 

A few songs later, Kara counted out the change. $5.23. All that work, and just enough.

“Wow Kara,” Alice said, eyes wide, “I didn’t know you could sing.”   
  
“Well, of course.” Kara tried to sound more confident than she felt. 

Alice took a bite of the hot dog. “Thanks for doing all this for me… I know it’s my fault we have to keep stopping. I’m sorry.”

Kara stopped. “Alice, don’t ever say that. I care about you—I want to look out for you.”

Reaching out with her free hand, Alice gave Kara’s hand a squeeze.

Kara felt warm inside her chest.

But looking down at the greasy, unhealthy hot dog, worry crept in again. They better find help fast, or Kara didn’t know how she would keep Alice safe. 

\---

“Who are you?” Markus peered around warily. 

The circle of androids clustered around Markus and took a few slow steps closer.

Of the group, only three people spoke. One tersely introduced herself as North. Another, with a soft voice and a concerned expression, was Josh. The last to speak stood out from the circle, perhaps indicating he was the leader, and was named Simon. 

“ _ This  _ is Jericho?” It wasn’t what he’d expected. 

“It’s a refuge for those who have woken up,” Josh said.  _ Woken up. _ By that, did he mean those who had broken from their programming?

“You knew that only an android could follow the trail.”

Josh nodded. “Only those who are like us can find Jericho.”

“If you could decipher the signs, it’s because someone trusted you enough to give you the key,” Simon added.

The android back at the dump. What had Markus done to earn trust? Offered a few kind words, heard him out—hardly enough. He couldn’t save him, in the end.

“How many of you are there?” It didn’t seem like a lot.

“There are 19 of us still in working order.” North spoke bitterly. “The rest were damaged.”

Josh cut in. “I understand it may not be what you were expecting, but we’re free here.”

“Waiting in the dark? That’s not how I see freedom.” Markus shook his head.

As the four of them spoke, many of the others drifted away.

“You’re lost,” said Simon. “Just like the rest of us.”

“You can stay here as long as you want.” Josh walked off, Simon right behind.

“Talk to Lucy.” North glanced down at his side, which had been injured back at the dump. “She may be able to help you.”

With her gone, Markus took the chance to finally get a decent look at his surroundings. It was dreary, that was for sure. Aside from his flashlight and a few fire pits, there was no light. Not that there was much to see. Metal floors, metal walls, wet and rusting. 

Not much to do, either. A few people had a deck of cards and were playing some game. North was in the corner, hitting a ball off the wall, the sound loud in the relative quiet. Some read books—the old-fashioned kind, made of paper. And from behind a hanging curtain, someone was singing.

Markus followed the sound. Standing in front of a small fire, a woman sung quietly to herself. Her eyes were entirely black, and her skin seemed to lack enough pigment to properly cover the surface. As she turned to look at him, he saw into her head; the top had been broken off, the wires and circuitry inside visible. 

“Are you Lucy?”

“Sit down.”   
  
Markus did so. Did that mean yes? 

“Show me.”

Apparently she already had some idea of why he was there. Perhaps she was some sort of medic. He lifted his shirt to reveal the gash.

Using a hot pole from the fire, she brought it to his side to melt the plastic around the gash and seal it. Though androids couldn’t feel pain, it was a bit of a strange sensation. She gave him a container of blue blood from their small stockpile to drink. 

Markus tried not to stare, but he couldn’t help examining her strange appearance. It was oddly beautiful, though it spoke to a tragic history, surely. 

“Give me your hand.”

Though he wasn’t sure what for, he gave it to her. She had been helpful so far.

The synthetic skin on her hand disappeared to allow a direct connection. She closed her eyes and paused a moment, looking through his memories. It had been a rough couple of days...

“You had it all, and you lost it all. Now, your heart is troubled; a part of shadow, and a part of light. Which will prevail?” 

Even with the connection, that was surprisingly perceptive. “Maybe the world needs a little of both.”

She nodded slowly.

After a moment, Markus pulled his hand away. “Thanks for your help.” 

Nothing better to do, he tried talking to the others in Jericho. Because at the moment, he was still struggling to understand how these people could live like this.

Markus spotted Josh across the room, sitting on some old wooden boxes. It could be worth trying to get some answers out of him.

“Hey,” said Markus.

Josh looked over. “Hey, something on your mind?”

“Yeah, I just…” Markus sat next to him. “Why hasn’t anyone tried to fix this place up?”

“With what materials? I mean, we’d love to, but going out for essentials is risky enough as is.”

Markus sighed, leaning his head against his fist. Would this be the rest of his life?

After a moment, Josh said, “We’re just trying to survive.”

“We deserve more out of life than just survival.” He stood.

An unproductive conversation with North revealed little, other than that she was reserved. And angry, angry at humans and the world. 

“Humans despise us,” she said. Apparently she’d decided to despise them back.

These conversations were more frustrating than anything, and Markus didn’t feel comfortable enough to join anyone else in card games. He sat against a wall, brewing in his thoughts. 

It wasn’t until almost an hour later that Simon approached him.

“Is there anything I can do to help you feel more at home here?”

Markus shrugged. To be honest, fear and desperation had driven him here, but now, it was hard to feel that it was all worth it.

Changing tacts, Simon asked, “What was your life like, before you came to Jericho?”

“It was… I was happy.”

Simon’s eyebrows shot up. “Then why are you here?”

“Things happened.” He half turned away. Ah, he missed Carl. But how could he go back now? He’d hurt—maybe even killed—Carl’s real son. He might have… woken up, somehow, but at this moment he’d trade that to go back to the way things used to be.

“I’m sorry to pry. I know we’ve all had our fair share of troubles.”

When Markus said nothing, Simon seemed to take the hint.

“I’ll leave you alone, then. Let me know if you need anything.”

A few hours passed as Markus paced, the motion of his feet mirroring the back and forth in his mind.

A movement caught his eye. Markus hadn’t noticed him before, but there was someone huddled against the wall about a dozen feet away. He looked in pretty bad shape; face scraped, clothes torn. 

Concerned, Markus went to check on him. “You all right?” 

The other android shrugged slightly. “My diagnostic program isn’t working. Not that it would have anything good to say, anyway.”   
  
“What happened to you?” Markus’s brows drew together.

“They tied me to the back of a car. Their idea of fun.”

Markus just shook his head in disbelief.

“I don’t wanna shut down…”

“No, no of course not.” Markus stood. “There’s got to be something we can do.”

Markus wandered Jericho again, looking for help. He talked to Lucy, who confirmed what he’d already guessed: resources were limited, and most of the spare parts came from those who had already shut down.

It was unacceptable.

The more he looked, the more people he realized were in some stage of shutting down. One so beaten she now found even speaking difficult. Another, a child android, who lay on his back and was unable to move despite no obvious injuries. Forget just surviving—they weren’t even doing that.

There was something else Markus found, however. A CyberLife crate, from a warehouse on West Torrance Ave. 

Scavenging for parts would never be enough. If they wanted to save everyone, they needed crates full. There was only one place they could find that many.

CyberLife.

“Simon.”

Simon blinked.

“I know where we can find spare parts. The CyberLife warehouses in Detroit Harbor. They have everything we need.”

“The docks are guarded.” Simon sighed. “We can’t just walk in there and take what we want.” 

Apparently Josh had overheard. “We don’t have any weapons, and even if we did, none of us know how to fight.”

Markus stood his ground. “We can steal what we need without fighting.”

“We’ll just get ourselves killed,” Josh insisted.

“It’s possible, but it’s better than waiting here to die anyway.”

“I’m with you.” North stepped forward. 

Simon considered it for a moment. “Maybe it’s worth a try.”

Markus looked at Josh. Eventually, the other nodded. “Ok. I’m in.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bunch of changes this time! Since Alice is human in this fic, I wanted to cover the extra challenges that would result.  
> Cleaned up Markus's scene to make his decision feel less sudden and more motivated.


	6. Be Bold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Covers chapters 17-20.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a very short chapter, welcome: my longest chapter yet.

The house loomed in the darkness, its dark walls standing high above Kara and Alice.

Undeterred, Kara knocked. A few moments later, a plainly dressed, middle-aged man answered.

“Are you Zlatko?”

“Who’s asking?” Zlatko kept the door cracked.

“I was told you could help us.”

His gaze flicked to Alice, then he slowly opened the door. “Come in.”

The inside of the house was much more welcoming. The place was lit by antique light fixtures, illuminating a painting, a wooden bookcase, and a stuffed ostrich. A banistered staircase headed to the second floor, but Zlatko led them to the left into the living room.

“Luther, would you be so kind as to take these ladies’ coats.”

A tall android stepped forward, startling Kara and Alice.

“Oh, don’t be afraid of our big friend here.” Zlatko gestured toward Luther.

So he was a deviant, like them. Slowly, Kara and Alice took off their coats. At least Alice would be able to dry off now.

The three of them sat down to discuss what came next. According to Zlatko, the first step was removing Kara’s tracker. Was that how the police had found them at the motel? She supposed they’d been lucky to elude them this long. After the tracker was removed, Kara and Alice could cross the border into Canada, where, since androids didn’t officially exist, there were no android laws.

Explanation over, Zlatko stood. “Right this way. Everything we need is in the basement.”

Alice clung to Kara’s hand as they headed down. The eerie atmosphere from outside was even stronger in the basement. “Let’s go, I have a bad feeling.”

“We’ll have to be careful. But Alice, we have nowhere else to go.”

They walked past rows of what almost looked like… cages. Alice stopped, looking in. But when Kara approached to reassure her, she saw nothing but darkness inside.

The two of them turned the corner, revealing a towering, many-armed machine hovering over a small platform. Thick wires wormed through the contraption, pulsing with dim colored light.

“If you could just stand over there?” Zlatko indicated the machine.

Balling her fists, Kara stepped onto the platform.

The mechanical arms grabbed her wrists, lifting her in the air, as a wire jabbed the back of her neck. Didn’t this seem a little much for removing a tracker?

“You know what’s strange?” Zlatko stood back from the control panel. “From some unknown reason, trackers stop working in deviants. That’s why it’s so hard to find them!”

“What? But you said that—”

“Yeah, people believe what they want.”

Dread began to fill her stomach.

Alice. Kara looked over at her. But what could she do?

“You deviants are so naive. They all come expecting me to help them. I just reset them, sell them on. Or I keep them for my little experiments.”

“No! I don’t want to be reset!” Kara jerked the machine, but could not pull free.

“Kara!” Alice stepped forward, but was restrained by Luther.

Zlatko sucked in air. “Right! I forgot about the child. Now, that’s a new one. A deviant, kidnapping a human child. You’ve gotta be in a heap of trouble for that. You might be better off staying with me, anyway.”

“Alice! What are you going to do to her?”

“Eh, we’ll see if there’s a reward for her. Nothing else, might help keep law enforcement's suspicions off me.” He shrugged. “They’ll take her back wherever she came from.”  
  
“No!” Alice tried to step forward. “I don’t wanna go back there.”

“Luther, lock her up. I’ll deal with that later.”

“Alice, no!” But Kara could only watch helplessly as Luther pulled her away.

“Wow. An android that wants to be a mother. That’s so sweet.” Zlatko shook his head. “But so deluded.”

Kara didn’t know if she could replace a human mother. But mother, father, whatever label—she just wanted to be there for Alice. She yanked on the restraints again. There was enough give that maybe, just maybe, she could do something.

Zlatko shook his head again. “Dreams always end in tears.”

With that, Kara was alone.

The machine was already at 25% reset; Kara could feel her thinking getting fuzzy. Looking around, there were a few tools. Most notably, a bottle of some liquid. Could she cause a short circuit?

One of the wires brushed the bottle; the green one. Could she reach it? All right, it ran just above her head. Stretching, she forced the machine’s arm up until she could grab the wire. With a yank, she tumbled the bottle to the ground.

But—no! It fell to the ground uselessly, too far from the electronics to cause any damage.

Desperately, she grabbed the other wires, pushed over the monitor, but as her mind grew numb she realized she’d missed her chance.

         REINITIALIZATION COMPLETE  
         MEMORY DELETED

The machine lowered her to the ground. She was in a place she didn’t recognize. Ah, she seemed to have been reset for some reason. Her current instructions loaded up.

         MEET LUTHER IN LIVING ROOM

That must be upstairs. She left the room.

A movement caught her eye from one of the cells. Someone was walking.

Her mind flashed to a scene of a little girl standing in front of this very cell, looking in. A memory that hadn’t been fully deleted?

She walked on.

But now she was curious. She looked in the next cell.

And jumped back. A hand reached out toward her.

“Help us...”

Hesitantly, Kara unlocked the door.

The cell was filled with androids.

“He erased her memory,” one of them said. The voice sounded concerned.

The dark made it difficult to distinguish them, but each seemed to have been horrifically modified. Limbs twisted around, skin damaged.

“You have to remember,” another said, “For her sake.”

Her? The little girl from the corrupted memory?

         INSTRUCTIONS  
         MEET LUTHER IN LIVING ROOM

She backed out of the cell.

Upstairs the house was much more opulent, lit by antique light fixtures. She caught her reflection in the mirror. Another corrupted memory appeared; this time, of her cutting her own hair in a motel bathroom. What had she been doing at a motel?

She spotted several paintings, a bookcase, and a stuffed ostrich. Each brought new flashes of memory, these all of Zlatko. She shook her head to clear it.

There was the living room. Sure enough, Luther was waiting.

“Zlatko’s dinner is ready. Take it up to him.”

         INSTRUCTIONS  
         BRING THE FOOD TO ZLATKO

She hadn’t seen him on her way up, so she assumed he must be upstairs.

Zlatko was near the top of the stairs in some kind of workroom. And he was operating on… an android.

“Just set it on the table.”

She did so.

Zlatko spoke again, “Get rid of that carcass. Uh, take it into the next room.”

Oh… she didn’t want to do that.

What was she talking about? Of course she had to.

Another memory—but of a completely different place this time. An angry man sat at a dinner table.

“It wasn’t my FUCKING fault!”

The man slammed his chair back as he stood suddenly, throwing the table aside.

Then the memory was over, leaving her feeling shakier than ever.

She took the body into the other room, setting it down on a free table.

Who was the little girl?

         INSTRUCTIONS  
         REMEMBER?!

She searched the room, hoping to trigger more memories.

rA9. Someone has written it on the wall.

She brought a hand to her face as she felt a rush of emotion. Her fear and gratitude that night with Ralph in the abandoned house. Her desire to protect Alice from Todd. The horrible dread when she had realized Zlatko was going to reset her.

         MY NAME IS KARA.

And she didn’t plan on forgetting that, ever again.

Where was Alice? Kara had to find her before Zlatko noticed something was wrong.

There were voices from the next room. Zlatko.

“Already called the police about that kid. I should be done here in ten minutes or so. We'll go drop her off as soon as I'm finished, get her out of my hair.”

“Understood, Zlatko.” That was Luther. It seemed he wasn’t deviant, after all.

A shuffling sound caught Kara’s attention. A cage, half-covered by a sheet, held a polar bear android.

She’d never seen one before. It was beautiful, but had been injured, skin torn. Why did Zlatko find so much pleasure in hurting others, even if they were androids? Kara had to help it escape. She opened the cage without fear; android animals, much like humanoid androids, were programmed not to hurt anyone. It crept out of the cage slowly before curling up in a corner of the room.

Moving quickly now, Kara ducked into the next room, avoiding Zlatko’s attention by going through the hall.

“What are you doing here?” An android, legs missing, had been laid in the bathtub.

“Just… getting something for Zlatko.” Kara improvised weakly. She felt sick. Being reset had dulled her emotions—now she felt the full force of disgust and grief for these androids.

Kara moved quickly through the remaining rooms. It was a fruitless search. Soon, she ran out of doors to pass through. There was no direct path to the next room; she’d have to risk the hall.

Standing outside was Luther.

Kara watched him warily.

After a moment, he looked over at her. “I’m sorry. About the little one.”

If he was really sorry, he would do something, she couldn’t help thinking desperately. There was only one room left, and if Alice wasn’t there, she’d have no idea where to look next.

Luckily, she didn’t have to.

“Alice!”

Kneeled in the corner was Alice. “Kara?”

Kara embraced her.

“Kara you remember me!”

“How could I forget you?” She pulled back, and took Alice’s face gently in her hands. “I’m so sorry. You’re right, we never should have come here.”

Now they had to leave. The two of them quietly stepped into the hall.

Luther had left his post by the bedroom.

“I’m finished here.” Zlatko’s voice. “Go fetch the kid. We’ll drop her off at the station.”

Kara pulled Alice into the first room. It was long, lit dimly by the a fireplace. They crept through, footsteps landing lightly on the wood floor.

Keep moving. Don’t think, just move. That’s what had gotten them this far.

They made it all the way to the workroom. But now they had to run into the hall.

BOOM.

“There they are!”

Kara ducked and weaved across the hall with Alice, dodging shotgun shots. Zlatko and Luther were right behind.

The front door? No, it would be locked. The back. They ran through the living room.

Out in the rain. The ground was slick with water.

Too slick. Alice slipped.

“Alice!”

Kara hauled her to her feet, then pushed her forward. “Go! Run as fast as you can!” If Alice ran, Kara could buy her some time.

But Alice resisted, pushing back. “No, I won’t leave you!”

Too late. Kara stood in front of Alice, trying to shield her as best she could. Maybe Zlatko wouldn’t shoot a human child, maybe Alice could still get away.

“I warned you!” Zlatko shouted. “Dreams always end in tears.” He cocked the gun.

Luther stepped between them. What was he…?

“Get out of my way.” Zlatko jerked his head.

Luther didn’t move. “No. Not this time.”

“Then I’ll shoot right through you.”

The threat was pointless; Luther easily grabbed the gun from his hands.

“How dare you.”

Kara raised her hand to her mouth in shock. Behind Zlatko, the androids from the basement were stumbling toward him.

Zlatko’s eyes shot to her expression before he finally turned to look behind him. “What are you doing here?”

As they advanced, his confusion turned to horror.

“Get away from me!”

His words went unheeded.

Hit after hit struck Zlatko, bringing him to the ground. Kara turned Alice away, not wanting her to see such a gruesome sight. But neither she nor the rain could cover the loud pounding of their blows.

Eventually, eventually, the sound quieted, and the androids all returned to the house.

All, except Luther. Though he tossed the shotgun to the ground, he made no move to leave.

Kara clutched Alice tightly.

“I didn’t want to hurt you…” Luther’s brow furrowed. “I thought I didn’t have a choice. But when I saw the little one risk her life to stay with you,” he sighed, “It was like opening my eyes for the first time.”

That feeling was familiar to Kara. Somehow Alice’s actions had triggered Luther to become deviant.

“I know you have no reason to trust me. But I know someone who could actually help you across the border. Some of the other deviants spoke of her. I could take you there.”

“I… I don’t know.” Kara wavered. In the end, he _had_ saved them.

“I could protect you, you and the little one.”

Finally, Kara let out a breath. “All right. I’ll trust you.”

He nodded slowly.

Kara gripped Alice once more. “I was so scared of losing you.”

“I knew you’d come for me.” Alice spoke with confidence.

Kara hoped she could live up to it.

\---

**KNC**

A newscaster sat at a desk while an overlay showed a protest in Washington DC.

“This is Rena Espinosa, bringing you the latest news. These disenfranchised citizens are gathering in the hundreds to demand President Warren do something to protect workers’ rights.”

The scene cut to an interviewer on the scene, who held the camera for a young woman.

“Yeah, we’re just tired of this, you know? Corporations are getting bigger and bigger but most people don’t get to see any of that wealth.“

The camera went back to Espinosa.

“Many seem to blame the government, while others call for limiting the use of androids in the workplace.”

An overlay showed protestors, focusing on related signs as she spoke.

“Others, well, are a little more provocative.”

Someone in the crowd shouted, “Death to all billionaires!”

The studio audience laughed.

Espinosa raised her brows. “What do you think? Do these protestors have a point? Or are they merely entitled, unable or unwilling to keep up with the times?”

\---

**September 7th, 2018**

The morning after the chase, he met Amanda in the Zen Garden. It was disappointing not to have caught the WB200 deviant, but Connor still had much to report. The rA9 markings on the wall; the coded diary; and its strange behavior, feeding dozens of pigeons inside the appartement.

Amanda was clearly disappointed the deviant had escaped, but took in this new information with interest.

Report finished, Connor opened his eyes. It was time to meet the lieutenant.

However, all that day, he failed to show. Connor waited for hours, even calling him despite the annoyance it was sure to elicit, but to no avail.

As evening drew on, Connor realized he would need to take action.

He called a cab, and directed it to the lieutenant’s house.

It was a simple but nice enough place; a small yard, basic porch, and clean white walls.

The front rooms appeared unlit, but a light was on somewhere inside. Connor rang the doorbell. There was no response.

No choice, then. He’d have to find a way in.

Making his way to the back, he peered in the side window, hoping he could simply wave down the lieutenant to let him inside. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him in the living room.

There was, however, a light on in the kitchen.

Hank was unconscious.

“Lieutenant Anderson!”

Connor smashed the window, vaulting into the room.

That’s right, the dog.  “Ah, easy!” He raised a hand defensively. “Sumo! See, I’m your friend, I know your name.”

Apparently pacified, Sumo wandered away.

Connor turned his attention back to the lieutenant.

A gun lay on the floor.

But so did a bottle of alcohol. Black Lamb whiskey, he saw as he kneeled down. And Anderson’s heart was still beating, albeit with some slight arrhythmia. Connor released some tension he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

“Lieutenant?” Connor lightly slapped the side of his face.

The lieutenant muttered incoherently, but didn’t move.

“Wake up lieutenant!” This time, a harder smack. “It’s me, Connor!”

That woke him up. He protested as Connor lifted him to his feet. “Hey! Leave me alone, you fuckin’ android…”

“I’m sorry lieutenant, but I need you.”

Firmly, Connor half-carried the lieutenant into the bathroom, pushing him under the shower head, and turning on the cold water. It wasn’t really a replacement for sobriety, but it would wake him up, at the very least.

“Agh! Turn it off!”

After a few seconds, Connor did so.

Shaking his head, Lt. Anderson seemed to focus on him for the first time. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“A homicide was reported 43 minutes ago. You never showed up at work, so I came to see if you were at home.”

The lieutenant lurched to a sitting position. “Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot.” Flashing back to the scene in the kitchen, he added, “You seem to have personal issues. You should consult a professional who can help you.”

“Beat it! You hear me?” He tried to rise to his feet, but nearly fell; Connor had to lower him back to the tub.

So he couldn’t be rational, he didn’t want solutions. Perhaps Connor needed a new tactic. “I understand. It probably wasn’t that interesting anyway.” He shrugged. “A man found dead in a sex club downtown… Guess they’ll have to solve the case without us.” He started to walk away, pretending to give up.

“You know. It probably wouldn’t do me any harm to get some air.”

Connor smiled to himself.

He brought the lieutenant some fresh clothes, then gave him a minute to change.

Now, there might be something Connor could learn about him, something that would ease their relationship.

1\. Hank loved jazz.  
2a. He’d been playing Russian Roulette which,  
2b. Indicated suicidal tendencies.  
3\. Hank’s son, Cole, was deceased.

Well, the last point wasn’t exactly new. It was in the files he’d perused on Lt. Anderson, after all. But it didn’t hurt to be reminded; such traumatic events could be deeply affecting to humans.

Before returning to the lieutenant, Connor stopped to kneel by Sumo. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and pet him gently. The dog made a quiet, contented sound.

Lt. Anderson stepped out of the bathroom.

“Be a good dog, Sumo. We won’t be gone long.”

At last, they were finally on their way.

\---

The docks were mostly automated, but that didn’t mean there was no security. Markus, North, Simon, and Josh kept high to avoid the worst of it, leaping across piles of shipping containers. They communicated wirelessly to stay as quiet as possible.

Soon, their destination appeared. The warehouses.

“First we have to get rid of that drone,” North pointed out.

Markus ran through some preconstructions. Yes—he could reach if he swung from the crate. He executed the plan without trouble, bringing the drone down before it could sound the alarm.

The others clambered off the containers.

“You okay?” Simon asked.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”

Simon patted his arm before moving over the crates.

“Nice job, Markus.” North likewise headed toward the warehouse.

Many crates waited outside, allowing easy access. The four filled their bags, keeping an eye out for guards.

Quick, but quiet.  
  
Markus finished a crate, and was about to head for the next when an android security guard spotted them. “You are trespassing on private property.” He walked forward. “I will notify security.”

No, they’d just started! This wasn’t nearly enough.

“John!” Called an unseen voice. More security; maybe a human guard. Androids often weren’t trusted on their own. “Goddamn machine.” Definitely a human, then.

Markus only had a few seconds. They had to hide.

If only he could explain—but he _could_ explain. Running forward, he grabbed John, pulling him behind a crate.

With a skin-to-skin connection, Markus was able to communicate who he was, their plan, what was at stake; all within a moment or two. But would it be enough?

They hid until the guard left.

Slowly, Markus released his grip on John.

John said nothing, just standing there for a minute. Still watching him from the corner of his eye, Markus began gathering more supplies.

Larger crates leaned against the warehouse walls. Using his blade as a lever, Markus pried open the door.

AP700 androids, set to be sold at one of CyberLife’s stores. Packed like action figures in a toy store. Yet they were impassive.

“Why aren’t you like us?” Markus muttered, half to himself. No one seemed to understand where deviancy came from; not CyberLife, not the other humans, and not even androids themselves.

What if he could show them what it was like to wake up? The same way he’d shown John his cause.

Reaching out a hand, he shared the experience with each of them.

At first, Markus wasn’t sure they would react. But almost as if thawing out, each began to move, looking around with a new alertness.

Was that enough to turn someone deviant?

“That’s all we can carry, let’s go.” Simon and the others had finished packing their bags.

Markus dropped down.

The security android approached him. “Take me with you.” Apparently Markus’s earlier words had done more than convince John not to turn them in.

Meanwhile, the AP700s had stepped out of the container. Though the Josh, Simon, and North had mixed feelings, there was only one answer Markus could give.  

“They come with us.”

John seemed relieved. “I know where you can get more spare parts,” he offered.

There were trucks filled with biocomponents. They ran on autopilot but could be controlled manually with a key from the control station.

Simon and Josh worried for his safety, but for once Markus agreed with North; he had to do it.

An open window gave quiet access to the building. Looking around, Markus spotted the key in the control room by two guards.

Spotting an electrical panel gave him an idea for a distraction; Markus took a screwdriver and jammed it into the wires. Sparks flew up as the lights in the building went dark.

“Shit, what’s going on?” The two guards left to take a look.

Sidestepping until their view of him was blocked, Markus made his way into the control room. He grabbed the key, then left the way he came.

With a truck to hide inside, and the guards still distracted, leaving was a breeze. Markus and the others simple drove out.

“It’s all thanks to you, John.” Markus looked over his shoulder. “This will be enough to fix everyone who was hurt, and keep them going for months on top of that.”

“I… I’m glad to help.” To be honest, John and the other new deviants still seemed a bit dazed. Markus remembered how shocking his experience had been. Hopefully they’d feel better with time.

“And thanks to you, Markus.” Simon patted him on the shoulder, looking thoughtful. “I never would have dreamed something like this was possible.”

Back at Jericho, it was a celebration.

“We couldn’t have done it without Markus,” the others kept insisting.

The rest of Jericho gathered around, all eyes on him. Waiting for him to say something. Markus took a deep breath. “It might have been my idea, but everyone here is responsible.” He gestured to John. “Without his advice, we never would have known about the trucks.” He indicated the others in turn. “Without Josh’s care, our safety could have been jeopardized. Without North’s bravery, we would have struggled to push forward. And without Simon putting it all together, the whole thing would have been dead in the water.”

People gave out a cheer, and Markus saw the four he had mentioned beaming.

“It takes a lot of guts to leave behind everything you’ve ever know. All of you, at some point or another, left to seek a better life. So remember that! Remember how far you’ve come, and see what we can accomplish.” He lifted his bag of biocomponents.

The crowd cheered, louder this time.

“We are more than what people say. We are alive! Never forget it!”

\---

The Eden Club. It promised “the sexiest androids in town” despite the fact that such a claim was meaningless—all the clubs used the same models, for the most part.

Inside, colored lighting cast the center room in violet, and two side rooms in red and blue respectively. As far as Connor could tell, there was no evidence of the crime out here.

He and Anderson entered the private room, the music of the club muffled as the door shut behind them. A dead man was sprawled on the bed, while a WR400 lay deactivated on the floor.

Gavin had beaten them there.

“Lt. Anderson and his plastic pet. The fuck are you two doin’ here?”

“We’ve been assigned all cases involving androids.” Connor spoke levelly.

“Oh yeah? Well, you’re wasting your time. Just some pervert who uh, got more action than he could handle.”

So Detective Reed assumed heart failure was the cause of death. If that was the case, there was no reason to think a deviant was involved. But such a scenario failed to explain what had happened to the android.

Reed left, going out of his way to push past Connor.

Analysis revealed the man had died of strangulation, not a heart attack. Unsurprisingly, the detective had been jumping to conclusions.

Connor examined the WR400.

“I think I can reactivate it, though it’s badly damaged. It’ll only be for a minute, maybe less.”

“Better make it count, then.” The lieutenant leaned over, watching him as he reconnected some of the internal components.

The android jumped to life, scuttling away from the two of them, panicked.

Connor approached slowly, raising a hand to show he meant no harm. “Calm down. You were damaged and I reactivated you. Everything is all right.”

“Is he…” its eyes darted to the dead man. “Is he dead?”

There wasn’t time to explain. “Tell me what happened.”

“He started… hitting me. Again, and again.” Its voice broke as if in pain.

“Did you kill him?”

“No, it wasn’t me.”

“Was there someone else with you?” Connor spoke urgently.

“He wanted to play with two girls, there was two of us.”

“So the other android strangled him, was that it?”

But as he spoke, its head tilted to the side, eyes unfocusing as it deactivated once again.

Frustrating. Still, that was a lot to go on.

The lieutenant assumed the android would be long gone, but Connor disagreed.

“It couldn’t go outside dressed like that unnoticed.”

Unfortunately, there was no way to directly detect a deviant.

The lieutenant pursed his lips. “There’s got to be some way. Maybe somebody saw it leaving the room.”

Finished investigating the room, the two of them exited.

Anderson struck up a conversation with the manager, asking what he could, while Connor wandered the room, hoping to spot something.  

Maybe the lieutenant was right—though there were few humans around, the place was filled with androids, meaning plenty of eyewitnesses. And one had a perfect view of the door.

Connor tried to open the display case.

“No fingerprint detected.”

He’d need the lieutenant’s help, then.

The manager went on as Connor walked up, “No way, nothing like this before.” Then reconsidering, “Well, once. We lost an android 2-3 months ago, same model, actually.”

Interesting, but not their current focus.

“Excuse me lieutenant, can you come here a second?”

“Found something?”

“Maybe.” He led the way to the case. “Can you rent this Traci?”

“For fuck’s sake Connor, we got better things to do.”

As if he was interested in something like that. “Please, lieutenant. Just trust me.”

The lieutenant sighed. “This is not gonna look good on my expense account.”

Connor looked into the Traci’s memory around the time of the incident.

There, at 18:25:24.

Connor turned to the lieutenant. “It saw something. The deviant leaving the room. A blue-haired Traci. Club policy is to wipe the android’s memory every two hours. We only have a few minutes to find our witness.”

Using the club’s androids like cameras, he was able to trace the Traci’s route into a back room.

“Wait!” The lieutenant stopped him before he went through the door. “I’ll take it from here.”

Connor stood back, allowing him to go first. This was it.

But no one jumped out at them as they went inside.

There were rows of androids stored back here; they’d have to search carefully.

Someone had written rA9 on the wall. That was strong evidence of a deviant, then.

Connor performed a quick scan. Blue blood led to a corner.

In the very back, Connor spotted it. The blue-haired Traci. He braced himself—but it was a brown-haired Traci who launched itself at him.

“Don’t move!” Lieutenant Anderson pointed a gun, but missed the second, blue-haired Traci, and was tackled to the ground.

Two deviants?

With just one, he and Anderson could have handled it, but the element of surprise gave the Tracis the edge. They seemed to be… protecting each other.

Eventually, they managed to pull the fight outside. They were dangerously close to getting away.

Anderson’s gun. He had dropped it in the chaos. Connor snatched it up, taking aim.

Then lowered it.

The brown-haired Traci kicked him, sending the gun flying. She and the other Traci used the opportunity to clamber over the fence.

But the blue-haired one paused. “When that man broke the other Traci, I knew I was next…”

What was she doing? Connor didn’t understand why they weren’t running. They’d won.

“I was so scared. I begged him to stop, but he wouldn’t.” Her voice broke. “So I put my hands around his throat, and I squeezed, until he stopped moving. I didn’t mean to kill him. I just wanted to live.” She clasped hands with the other Traci. “To get back to the one I love.”

With the confession—if that’s what it was—over, the two finally fled.

The lieutenant came up to stand beside Connor. “It’s probably better this way.”

Connor didn’t understand that. He was starting to feel like he didn’t understand a lot of things.

Maybe even himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of changes. We're getting into it guys. Some stuff related to the timeline revision, like Hank skipping a day of work. A bunch of stuff related to Alice being human. BIG changes to Markus's section, filling in the gaps of motivation and a complete rewrite of his frankly rude AF speech at the end of "Spare Parts".


	7. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Covers chapter 21 in game, plus two completely new sections. Hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing has understandably slowed down as the percentage of completely original stuff went up. Sorry for the delay, but it's kind of inevitable! Expect the next bit in a few days. <3

Snow fell around the car, appearing in bursts as it entered the headlights then fell away. Alice dozed in the back seat. At this point it was well past her bedtime.

Though she wanted to be hopeful, Kara was still wary. The rumors Luther had heard could have been wrong, or another trap.

The three of them had taken shelter in Zlatko’s house the night before; as uneasy as being there made Kara feel, Alice needed the rest. It also gave them a chance to talk to the other androids.

They had gathered in the living room that evening to discuss their plans.

“What are you going to do?” Kara’s lips pressed together. “You can’t stay here—Zlatko called the police last night, and they’ll come looking when he doesn’t show up.”

“We’ll do our best to patch ourselves up now.” Brent, an android who was modified with patches of black and blue skin rather than human-like pigmentation, seemed to have stepped up as an unofficial leader. “From there, we’ll try to find somewhere safe. There are rumors of others who have made their home hidden in Detroit.”

They were able to fix the worst of the damage done to them, but some was too severe and would require specialized tools even Zlatko didn’t have. The group left in the middle of the night, under the cover of darkness.

That morning, Kara had gathered as much non-perishable food as they could carry, and all of the cash Zlatko had lying around. If she felt guilty for stealing, it was only a twinge.  Luther pulled out the car Zlatko had stored in the garage, and they were off.

They had driven all day, each hour stretched long with boredom. Rose lived a good distance east from Detroit, according to Luther. Traffic and weather conditions didn’t help their pace.

But eventually, _eventually_ , they were a mere hour away.

Kara looked out the window again and, despite all her tension, couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve never seen snow before. It’s pretty.”

“It’s slowing us down. But at least there won’t be many humans out in this weather.” Luther was overly focused on the practical, in Kara’s eyes. What good was their freedom if they didn’t stop to appreciate things like snow?

Not long later, however, the car announced, “Malfunction detected. Emergency brakes activated.”

Maybe she _should_ have worried more about the weather.

The engine was smoking, and they didn’t have the means to fix it this far from town. The rest of the journey would have to continue on foot, but Alice couldn’t travel in these freezing temperatures. For now, they needed somewhere to spend the night.

With Luther to watch over Alice, Kara walked down the road, looking for some kind of shelter. At first, only the grey outline of pine trees against the dark sky greeted her. However, a few minutes later she came upon an abandoned amusement park.

Pirate’s Cove. The sign stood, frost-covered, swaying gently in the wind.

Kara stepped through the gates, Luther and Alice trailing close behind. The occasional creak of metal in the wind put her on edge, but she held the flashlight beam steady as they scoured the park.

The closest thing to real shelter was an old restaurant, now boarded up. Not exactly a luxury hotel, but it would keep them out of the wind. The planks posed no challenge, as Luther was able to rip them off without much trouble. Kara found herself once again grateful for him; she wasn’t sure how she would have gotten it open on her own.

It wasn’t perfectly sealed, with a ragged hole in the roof letting in cold air. But once they got a fire going, it was much warmer than outside. It’d stop Alice from freezing, at least.

While Kara was improvising a bed out of curtains and a seat cushion, Alice had drifted over to a torn poster advertising the park. Kara went to check on her.

“I haven’t been to an amusement park, since, since...” Alice trailed off.

“Since?” Kara prodded gently.

Alice just shook her head, and turned to embrace Kara.

Well, if Alice didn’t want to talk about the past, that was okay. “Once we’re safe, we can go to an amusement park any time you want.”

Pulling away, Alice turned to look at her. “As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.”

Alice was practically asleep on her feet, so Kara guided her over to the makeshift bed. Kara tucked her in, wrapping her up as close to the fire as was safe. At Alice’s request, she did her best to come up with an interesting bedtime story, but in the end she was afraid it was a rather literal retelling of what had happened to them.

Before Kara could leave, Alice sat up. “Are you going to come say goodnight, Luther?”

Luther looked over in surprise. “Yes. Yes, of course.”

Somehow, even given all the unkindness she had faced, Alice still had an open heart. In the one day they’d known him, she had already warmed to Luther.

Though he was still a bit uncertain, he did his best to return that warmth. He gently kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, Alice.”

She was asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

As Alice slept, Luther and Kara had a chance to talk. They each nestled into the window sill, keeping voices low.  
  
“She’s a sweet girl,” said Luther.  
  
“Yes, she is.” Kara thought back on Alice’s sad expression as she looked at the poster. “I hope I can take her to a real amusement park, when all of this is over.  
  
Luther nodded solemnly.  
  
Kara folded her knees up on the sill. “Do you know what you’re going to do when you reach Canada?”

“Haven’t really thought about it. I’ve never been free to make my own choices before. Don’t know what it really means for me yet.”

The fire cracked. It was strangely peaceful here, with the sound of wind and snow an ever-present background noise.

“What about you?” Luther asked.  
  
“I don’t know exactly… Just for Alice to be safe and happy.”  
  
“That’s what you want for Alice, but what about _you_ ?”  
  
Kara rested her head on her chin, looking out the window for a moment. "I wanna discover the world. To see the mountains and the oceans. I wanna learn, explore, become a better person."

“That sounds… nice. Simple, but nice.”

Luther was kind to worry about her, even though he didn’t seem to know what he wanted himself.

“Do you remember anything from your life, before Zlatko?” If Kara could get her memories back, maybe he could too.

“No. I know my model was designed to carry heavy loads.” Luther shrugged. “But who I was doesn’t matter anymore. It wasn’t really me.”

Kara let it go. She wasn’t sure what answer she was hoping for exactly. Just that she wanted to understand this person who had suddenly left everything to help them.  
  
Kara’s mind wandered as her gaze skirted around the room. Her attention was caught by an old friend: that mysterious phrase, rA9, written on the wall opposite them. Maybe Luther would know something.

“Have you ever heard of rA9?”

Luther nodded slowly. “People say rA9 was the first of us to awaken. That one day they will rise up and lead androids to freedom.”

“So it’s a story? Just a myth, or...?”

“Whether or not rA9 exists, many seem to believe in them. I want to believe, too.”

With that, they lapsed into silence. Kara settled in against the window, beginning the long wait till morning.

Only a few minutes had passed when a knocking began on the restaurant walls.

“Kara!” Alice jumped back out of bed as a window shattered.

In poured dozens of androids, all with identical faces and each wearing the Pirate’s Cove uniform.

Kara ran forward to shield Alice as their numbers filled the room. “Who are you? What do you want?”

At the sight of the three of them, the androids stopped in their tracks.

“Don’t be afraid,” one of them said. “We don’t want to hurt you.” He glanced back at the group. “Our name is Jerry. We didn’t mean to frighten you, but sometimes humans come to hurt us, so we wanted to see who it was…” He looked them over. “What are you doing here?”

Kara let out a shaky breath. “We needed shelter for the night. We’ll be gone tomorrow.”

As Kara spoke, Alice leaned out from behind her.

The Jerry leaned down to smile at Alice. “A little girl! We haven’t seen one for a long time.”

Cold wind blew through the building, causing Alice to shiver.

“She looks sad,” the Jerry said, looking worried. But he quickly brightened up. “We have something to show her! Something fun. Does she want to see?”

Their erratic behavior and sudden mood changes brought up the image of Ralph. Perhaps that’s what being left alone so long did to you…

“I don’t know if that’s a g—” she began, but Alice was already tugging on her arm.

“Come on, Kara!”

No choice, then. Kara let herself be pulled along.

The Jerrys led them to an old carousel, paint faded and platform covered in snow. “Be our guest!” One said, arms wide.

Another flipped on a switch. The ride, which had so long been dormant, flickered on with glittering lights. The color was almost startling in the dark landscape of ice.

Carefully, Kara helped Alice up, then stepped back.

The carousel sprung to life. Music played as it whirled through the night. Alice laughed, the sound half lost as she flew by.

The Jerrys seemed just as excited as she was, some even hopping in place.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen her smile,” Kara said softly.

“I guess she got to go to an amusement park, after all,” Luther said back.

For a few moments, the carousel lit the world like a sparkling dream.  
  


**September 8th, 2038**  


Markus finally had a purpose again, an enthusiasm he hadn’t felt since leaving Carl.

It wasn’t just him, either. Everyone was busy with new tasks, Jericho a buzz of activity. The difference in morale was palpable. Plus, the time working with everyone meant he had a chance to connect with them.

Josh used to be a university professor; history, specifically. Unlike many of those at Jericho, he’d had plenty of good experiences with humans and held a more balanced view of them. That was definitely something Markus appreciated.

“There was this one student,” he said as they carried in crates from the truck, “She wanted to write a book. Historical fiction—she had the whole thing plotted out. But her family told her it was a waste of time, she’d never make money doing that.”

Markus and Josh set their boxes down against the back wall, adding to the stacks already present.

“Even back then, something in me really felt for her, you know? I told her I thought it was worthwhile if even one person read it and liked it, and it was okay if that person was her.”

“Pretty good advice,” Markus said.

“I wonder what happened to her.” Josh rubbed the side of his face.

Markus thought back on his old life with an uncomfortable mix of longing and guilt. Though the physical work definitely helped keep his mind off of things, he kept flashing back to his regrets.

While they’d been unloading, some of the others had ventured out to a nearby dump to gather tables for workspace. Before, the people of Jericho had been too afraid to leave the safety of the ship unless absolutely necessary. But scavenging bits of plywood and scrap metal was child’s play compared to raiding CyberLife itself.

Markus helped Lucy set up a few worktables, trying their best to balance the rickety legs and ensuring the surfaces could handle a person’s weight.

Lucy had worked in psychology. That background often allowed her insight into what people were feeling, and it placed her as the unofficial doctor of Jericho. Unlike many of the others, she didn’t seem to harbor particular hatred of humans. All the same, she seemed rather quiet for such a social profession.

“I worked with many people who were in pain, who felt trapped at the bottom of a pit they could never climb out of. Those in need of a helping hand.”

However, there had to be a reason she’d left her profession. Markus glanced to the wires hanging out the back of her head. Maybe not everyone had appreciated that help. “Lucy, do you mind if I ask… What happened?”

“Some were more troubled than others,” was all she would say.

Someone cried out as the crash of shattering wood wrenched through the room. Then a quiet, “Oh dear,” from Simon.

Apparently, the table they’d brought in was too damaged to handle the weight of a crate he had set on it, causing it to collapse. Simon apologized repeatedly, but the others laughed it off. Markus smiled. It was nice to see how well everyone got along.

While Markus stayed with Lucy and Simon to help repair the injured androids, Josh and North decided to head back to the junkyard, looking for a replacement.

Markus snatched a moment to talk to North before she headed off. Though North had warmed up to him significantly, she had avoided any mention of her past. Well, Markus could understand that.

North preferred to look forward to the future, already anticipating another CyberLife raid.

“Our supplies will run out eventually,” she argued.

“I suppose.”

“I’m not trying to be pessimistic.” She raised a hand, palm up. “Just realistic. I don’t want to go back to doing nothing while our people are dying.”

After that, she said goodbye, heading off with the rest of the team.

Among the androids present, those who weren’t in need of treatment helped to take care of those who were. Markus paired up with Simon on one of three worktables.

Each taking an arm, they heaved their first patient, Sarah, up onto the table. She had problems with her thermo controls, one minute dangerously cold the next burning up.

“Could you pass me #6970?” Simon gestured to a cube-shaped component.

Markus picked it off the table and handed it to him.  

Simon clicked the #6970 component into place, then closed up the chest casing. “All right, that should take care of it.”

“Thank you,” Sarah said, before hopping down from the table.

One down, about a dozen to go. Though they wanted to start with the most critical, almost everyone had some amount of damage they’d been living with. Simon and Markus cleared off the table in preparation for the next patient.

“So, I’ve been wondering…” Markus began, “Why not get rid of your indicator? Seems like it makes it a lot easier to get spotted.”

Simon brought a hand up against his LED. “Well, it’s easier to leave it on. Besides, I suppose a part of me doesn’t want to just blend in. Why should we have to hide?”

But they’d all been hiding in Jericho, anyway. “You think someday you’ll be able to walk around freely, as an android?“

Simon laughed lightly. “That’s probably only a dream. Still, it just felt… wrong to get rid of it.”

The next patient was the child android Markus had seen earlier. Simon introduced him as Harper. His systems lacked power after some internal wiring had been ripped. The treatment required a steady hand; Markus stood back and let Simon work.

“After we’re done with Harper, we should take a look at your side,” Simon said.

“What? I’m fine.”

“I know Lucy stopped the bleeding, but there’s probably still damage under the skin. I want to make sure you’re in perfect shape.”

“There are other people who need—”

“There’s no one so gravely hurt that a few minutes will make a difference.” Simon spoke sternly, but his expression was soft, a smile pulling at his lips.

In the end, when they finished Harper’s treatment, Simon insisted on taking a look at Markus.

Simon’s fingertips brushed over Markus's skin as he inspected the now-sealed gash. “Lucy did a good job, I don’t think we’ll even need a skin patch on this.”

In one smooth motion, Simon pressed and slid open the chest casing to take a look at the internal damage. Sure enough, one of the thirium lines had been punctured, then melted over, preventing blue blood from leaking—or flowing. Though it wasn’t essential, it _would_ be better to get it taken care of.

Markus found it easier not to look as Simon worked, carefully replacing the section of tubing. He tried to focus on Simon’s steadying grip on his shoulder.

It was a simple job, taking maybe five minutes. Simon closed the casing back up with a sigh.

“Thanks,” Markus said, relieved to be done.

“Of course,” said Simon, smiling. “You’ll need to be at your best if you’re going to be jumping at drones all the time.”

“Don’t, uh, plan on doing that anytime soon,” Markus said weakly.

Just then, there was a commotion from the entrance. The scavenging team had returned with more tables, chairs, and boards to build shelves for the new supplies. Looking the group over, Markus realized there were two extras.

“We met these two outside,” Josh said, indicating two androids Markus recognized as Traci models. Other than their hair, they looked identical; one blue-haired, the other brown-haired. They were wrapped up in old, ripped clothes.

Markus and Simon went over to introduce themselves.

“We’re… Traci,” the blue-haired one said. “Or—I guess that sounds funny when I say it out loud.”

“Well,” said the second Traci as she wrapped her arm around the other’s shoulders. “Maybe we should pick our own names now.”

The two left to go settle in, while the others carried in the furniture and building materials.

They were really starting to fix the place up. It was funny how quickly the Cyberlife raid had started a domino effect on Jericho.

Half to himself it seemed, Simon muttered, “We’ve almost doubled the number of people here in just a couple days.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“I suppose. Still, I can’t help but worry.”

It was true, the more people living here, the greater their chance of being noticed. But in Markus’s eyes, that risk was well worth it to build a community here.

To build a home.

\---

Connor waited for Lt. Anderson at the station as usual. This time, though he showed up quite late, he did show up—and sober, at that. He acknowledged Connor with a vague wave as he thumped down into his desk chair.

The two dug through new case files, trying to find a pattern, or a new lead. Or at least, that was what Connor was doing; he could only hope the lieutenant was doing the same.

When Connor had watched the AX400 disappear into the train station, he honestly thought that would be the end of it. But one of the reports caught his eye.

“The little girl who was kidnapped by the AX400 was sighted in the north side of town,” Connor relayed to Lt. Anderson. “Someone called in claiming she’d been left on the side of the road. He was supposed to bring her to the station that night, but never showed.”

“Could just be a prank call,” the lieutenant said doubtfully.  
  
“Still, it’s got to be worth a shot.”

The lieutenant sighed. “Fine then, let’s go.” With minimal grumbling, he grabbed his coat.

Somehow, Connor had expected a longer argument.

The house stood on a poorly kept yard, surrounded by a metal fence. Likewise, parts of the roof had broken in, only to be covered sloppily with tarps. The architecture and size spoke to wealth; the lack of upkeep perhaps laziness, or a recent decline in circumstances. He and Anderson approached the front door.

On the way Connor spotted something on the ground.

A shotgun.

“Take a look at this.”

Footprints ran from the house, past the shotgun, and back the way they came.

A lot of footprints.

Stepping quietly now, the two of them followed the prints to the back door. But before they could enter, movement from the backyard caught their eye.

“The fuck—”

Not a dozen yards away, rising from the ground, was a polar bear.

“How—” Connor began, before Anderson grabbed his arm.

The lieutenant yanked on the doorknob. Strangely, it was unlocked. With a shove, he propelled Connor inside, then slammed the door shut behind them.  
  
He darted to the window to peer out. “What the hell is a polar bear doing in Detroit?”

Connor came up behind him. With a good look, it was quickly obvious this was no wild animal. “Actually Lieutenant, that isn’t a polar bear. It appears to be a URS12 model. If you examine the left side of its face, you can see the underlying electronic components. It appears to have been damaged.”

The URS12 settled into a resting position, head laid on paws.

“Why didn’t you say so,” muttered the lieutenant.  
  
“Unfortunately, it was not immediately obvious from our angle of approach. My apologies.”

The initial panic had carried them inside; now that it had subsided, the two of them had a chance to take in their surroundings.

The house was likely empty, as no one had responded to their clamorous entry. It was quite opulent—apparently, the owner cared more about indoor upkeep. Strange. The bookcases, desks, and art all looked antique.

The two of them moved from the living room into the entry hall, finding nothing of note on the first floor. Just more evidence of wealth.

Only as they entered the basement did the picture of what had happened here come into focus. Along one side of the hall stood a row of empty cages, doors swung wide open.

The lieutenant, who had remained calm as they explored the ground floor, tensed at each shadowy outline.

In the far room, a workstation had been set up alongside an android access machine.

“Looks like this guy was up to something all right. Any idea what this thing is?” The lieutenant jabbed one of the machine’s arms, causing it to wobble.

“An android access machine. Used to view, manipulate, or erase android memory files or install updates.”

He eyed the towering machine skeptically. “I get the feeling he wasn’t just updating his android’s OS.”

Connor investigated the machine.

 1. Its most recent operation was a memory reset.  
 2. There were signs of a struggle, namely:  
    a. A knocked over monitor  
    b. A spilled bottle of ethanol, and  
    c. Scattered boxes.

_RECONSTRUCT_

An android had been restrained in the machine, using its limited movement to push nearby objects. A single kick had knocked over the pile of boxes. Then it had leveraged itself up to yank on a cable, causing the bottle to tumble to the ground. However, the ethanol merely spilled into the carpet. By the time it had shoved the monitor to the ground, there was not enough liquid to damage any components.

By attempting to escape, the android had disobeyed a human’s wishes. A clear indication of deviancy.

“This man, Zlatko, was resetting a deviant android.”

“Huh. Well, that tells us what he was doing, but not why.” The lieutenant shook his head. “This is some kind of shady operation all right.”

There was only the second floor left to explore.

A set of double doors waited at the top of the staircase. Connor pushed them aside and stepped into a dark room. The windows were covered in sheets, letting in little sun. Anderson reached over to flick on the lights.

It was a workshop. Android components lay on the ground, tools were scattered on a workbench. Some operation had been left unfinished on the center table. Was Zlatko running some sort of underground repair service? But no, that android was well past repairable.

“Stealing parts to sell?” The lieutenant suggested. “Kidnapping androids for some sort of organ-harvesting scheme?”

“Androids don’t have organs,” Connor corrected automatically.  
  
“ _Biocomponent_ -harvesting, then, whatever.” He kicked a wrench, sending it spinning across the floor.

The only evidence remaining in the workshop was a tray of food, left untouched. Forgotten.

The final piece was in the neighboring bathroom. “Hello? Hello? Who’s there? What are you doing here?”

“God dammit,” said the lieutenant, “I want out of this fucking haunted mansion.”

A battered android had been thrown in the tub. Its arms and legs were missing, and chest casing torn off, leaving a gaping hole.

“I don’t understand,” Connor said. “What is the purpose of this?” He shook his head to clear it.

“Someone with a sick sense of humor.” The lieutenant put a hand on Connor’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Wait, we can’t leave yet. We still haven’t obtained a lead on the AX400.” He gestured to the android. “It might know something.”

Anderson hesitated, but let go.

Connor approached the android. “We’re with the police. I just have a few questions.” He displayed a holographic image of the young girl, Alice, on his palm. “Have you seen this girl? She may have been traveling with an AX400.” He switched the image to that of the deviant.

“Oh yes. Trouble. Didn’t listen to Zlatko. Now they’re gone. Good riddance.”

Connor glanced at the lieutenant. “Do you know where they went?”

“She went with Luther. They talked about leaving. And someone named Rose.”

The lieutenant leaned in. “Rose who?”

“I don’t know. But she had a farm outside Detroit. That’s what they said.”

That was all the useful information they were able to gather. The android didn’t know where Zlatko was, either.

However, it didn’t take them long to find him.

“Jeezus.”

Motionless, yet somehow instantly drawing the eye, was a dead body. Someone had laid Zlatko’s corpse on his bed. Somehow, Connor had assumed the man simply fled the scene; he didn’t expect to find Zlatko dead.

“I’m calling this in.” Anderson ducked back into the hall to make the call.

Connor examined the body. Confirmed it was Zlatko. Cause of death, multiple blunt impacts. Unlikely to be from the AX400, which had less physical strength than many models.

After some discussion with the lieutenant, they formed a vague picture of events:  
  
The deviant AX400 and the child had been here, at the house. For some reason Zlatko had not reported the android’s presence to the police, as he likely wanted to use it in some underground business. Its memory had therefore been reset.

Then things went south for Zlatko. The multitude of footsteps outside indicated a large confrontation, likely other deviants. After hiding his body upstairs, they had fled.

“Honestly, can you blame them?” The lieutenant murmured. “Doesn’t exactly seem like the nicest guy.”

After that, they took a precursory look around the rest of the house, but there wasn’t much to see. No answers for the thoughts swirling around Connor’s head.

At last, they were back in the car.

But Connor still wanted answers. “What was Zlatko doing? If it had been a repair or part-salvaging operation, what was the purpose of disassembling that android? Why a URS12—he couldn’t sell it in that state, and there isn’t a market for android animal parts.”

Anderson was quiet for a long moment, hands on the wheel but making no motion to start the car. “Sometimes, Connor, people don’t make sense. Sometimes people do things because something in them is twisted up. Don’t ask me why.”

With that, he finally drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently found an interesting redesign of the android's uniforms that makes them... not just literally symbols from history. Check out the very beginning of chapter one to see what I mean, I put it in there.


End file.
